


Sewing Beauty and Her Knights of the Kitchen Island

by Alley_Cat



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friendship/Love, Funny, Happy Ending, M/M, Male Slash, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:47:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24129961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alley_Cat/pseuds/Alley_Cat
Summary: AH, AU, Very mature. Jasper and Bella had been living together for several years, enjoying a causal relationship with no strings attached. All that changes one evening, with one phone call from Bella's mythological ex—Edward Cullen. Edward asks for a rescue, but will he end up saving Bella and Jasper, instead? Includes poly & slash.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Edward Cullen/Jasper Hale, Jasper Hale/Bella Swan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Thank you to LeeorV for giving this chapter a good polish. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.
> 
> This story was born out of a dream somewhere in the early hours of the morning just before waking up, and as we were still in quarantine, there was little for me to do but think it over and over. Eventually, I knew I just had to put words to paper, and this is how this story was born.

**Chapter One**

Bella sat among a huge pile of blood-red fabric in the middle of the room, huddled over a piece she was painstakingly hand-sewing with a thin needle and thread. Jasper, her roommate, walked into the room and stood in the doorway, observing her for a few moments. Somewhere underneath all those pieces of fabric strewn around the room was her bed, though Bella had spent the last few nights sleeping anywhere but there—the floor, the chair, Jasper's bed, the latter being because he had simply picked her limp form up and carried her there so she could get some good rest. He didn't dare move anything to find her own bed. That way lay madness (hers) and murder (his).

"Yo, Sewing Beauty," Jasper called. He laughed when Bella raised a pair of unfocused and red-rimmed eyes to look at him. "How about you take a break for dinner?"

"Dinner?" Bella asked, frowning. It was almost like the word dinner was a foreign concept for her.

"Yeah, you know, food?" He was still grinning as he watched Bella brush one hand to push back the strands of hair that escaped her braid and were now hanging around her face. "I swear, you're worse than a mad scientist when you're working on a new project."

Bella sighed and rolled her shoulders, releasing some of the stiffness in them. She had been working on her current project—a period corseted dress for—for the fifth day in a row. Or it might have been the sixth, she wasn't sure. Time had a way of getting away from her when she wasn't paying attention.

Bella was proud of the emerging costume, but she could admit—to herself, at least—that she might have misjudged the amount of work the project would require. She should probably take a break and have some dinner, yeah. At the thought of food, her stomach let out a loud growl, making Bella giggle. "Food sounds mighty good right now," she said. "Give me a few minutes to finish this stitch."

Shaking his head, Jasper sighed. "Five minutes, Bella, or I'm going to resort to using drastic measures."

"Five minutes," Bella murmured, already sinking back into her work.

Jasper shook his head again and walked out of the room. He loved his roommate, but the girl would work herself to the ground if he didn't make sure she ate and slept in regular intervals. Walking downstairs, Jasper headed toward the kitchen. He picked up a bowl and gathered vegetables for a salad that would go along with the pasta puttanesca he had made yesterday and was heating up now. Jasper considered himself a pretty decent cook—even if he did say so himself—so he and Bella were good at sharing the kitchen duties. They also knew when to take the burden for a while to let the other catch up on an important project.

Popping in a piece of cucumber into his mouth, Jasper's thoughts turned back to their first meeting. It was a little over three years ago. He was a semi-broke computer programmer from Texas, arriving in Seattle after the mother of all bad breakups. Whatever his ex—Maria—didn't break, burn, or steal from him was in the two bags he carried with him off the plane that landed in Sea-Tac airport. He literally ran into the curvy, petite brunette as he was walking out of the airport building.

Thankfully, he'd caught her before she landed on her ass, but he might as well have been knocked back twenty feet when he met her eyes. She had the most beautiful warm chocolate-brown eyes, framed in a heart-shaped face, dotted with just a hint of freckles on her small nose, and topped with bottom-heavy pink lips that he just wanted to nibble and find out if they were as soft as they seemed to be.

o.O.o

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Jasper said, not knowing where he'd had the presence of mind to come up with something coherent as he couldn't take his eyes away from her beauty.

"Oh, no, no need to apologize," Bella said, flustered and flushing. "I'm the one who ran into you and nearly knocked us both over."

"Well, I must admit that not every day I have beautiful women run into my arms," Jasper teased, enjoying the glow that the soft pinkening of her cheeks brought her. "I'm Jasper Whitlock."

"Bella Swan," she replied with a smile of her own. She expected him to shake her hand when he extended his to her; instead, he picked her hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to its back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella."

Now that she wasn't busy berating herself for nearly knocking over a stranger—an occurrence that was much too frequent in her life—she was able to take in his appearance. He looked slightly tired and maybe even sad, but the blue of his eyes was as bright as the sun in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona and just as clear. His hair had the color of straw and was streaked with blond and brown highlights that she knew from a miserable and unfortunate experience could not be achieved artificially. His soft curls ended just below a strong jaw, and the smile on his full lips was soft and—again—a little sad. Bella wondered what happened to him to cause the underlying sadness in such a handsome face.

"Bella?" Another voice sounded from behind them, and they both turned to see an older man in a police uniform approaching them.

Jasper dropped Bella's hand—only now realizing he never let her go—and took a small step back.

"Dad! Hi," Bella said sheepishly. "Thanks for coming to pick me up."

Charlie Swan, Forks' Chief of Police, studied the man standing next to his daughter with an experienced eye. Clean shirt, slightly worn jeans, clean work boots, two bags. Nothing about him gave Charlie a bad vibe. Yet. "Sure, Bells. Where is your luggage?"

"Oh, um, we had a really short layover in New York, and the airline didn't get my bags on the plane in time," Bella said. "I filled in the details, and they said they will deliver it either later tonight or tomorrow morning."

Charlie sighed.

"I know, I know," Bella said before he could continue. "I shouldn't have left myself only an hour layover." She turned to Jasper with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry again, for running into you like that."

"No problem, Miss Bella." Jasper smiled at her again. "As long as neither one of us ended up on the ground, I think we're good. Have a good day, ma'am, sir," he said to Bella and her father, turning to walk away. He was definitely attracted to the brunette, but he didn't trust his heart anymore. Besides, he had more important things to worry about—like finding a place to live and a job to pay for said place.

He didn't make more than a few steps when he was stopped by Bella. "Jasper? I know this might sound odd, and I swear I'm not a weirdo, and my Dad is a police officer, so you can be sure I'm not trying to kidnap you—"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Bells," her father grumbled behind her. "What my girl is trying to say is can we offer you a ride?"

Bella closed her eyes, mortified. That was just her luck. Her social awkwardness just had to rear its ugly head just at the wrong time. She thought she'd grown out of it after leaving for college.

Jasper found himself smiling once more. Bella was just too adorable with the pink blush on her cheeks. He had smiled more in the few minutes since he met Bella Swan than in the last six months living with his crazy ex. Perhaps it was because Bella came across as completely natural, nothing fake about her appearance or behavior, no coyness or false bashfulness. He wasn't even sure she was wearing makeup. While his ex…well, Maria wouldn't have known natural if it bit her in her silicon-augmented ass. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm not sure I know where I'm going just yet."

Bella's embarrassment disappeared, and she looked up at Jasper with concern. "What do you mean?"

Cursing inwardly, Jasper carefully constructed his answer. "Well, I just literally walked off the plane here, so I'm going to get a motel room and work on getting myself room and board." Seeing the frown on the Chief's face, Jasper added, "I was forced to leave my life in Texas quite abruptly and hadn't had the opportunity to get things ready here."

Charlie studied the man again, taking note of his stiff and proud stance, the stubborn tilt of his chin, and the set of his shoulders. "How about you come stay over at my house for a few days? We have a spare bedroom."

Bella turned a brilliant smile at her father and mouthed, "Thanks, Dad."

Jasper paused. He was more than a little stunned and suspicious. "Um…" He hesitated, but then Bella turned that brilliant smile at him, and he was powerless to refuse. "All right, thank you. I would love to."

o.O.o

Momentarily pulling himself back from his walk down memory lane, Jasper checked the time on his cell phone. He would give Bella ten more minutes before he came to get her, come hell or high water. He was pretty sure she wouldn't kill him as he'd given her a fair warning.

That accidental meeting at the airport had turned out to be a blessing for Jasper. He'd ended up staying with the Chief and Bella for several months, helping around the house with different small projects that the older man either didn't have time or the desire to do and healing on the inside from the fresh wounds inflicted upon him by his ex.

One evening, Charlie had gotten the whole story of his past out of Jasper—losing his parents at sixteen, putting himself through college while working three jobs, and the betrayal of his fiancée and the man he thought was his best friend just when he discovered the trust fund his parents had left him. It had felt cathartic to let it all out, but what Jasper hadn't expected was that Charlie didn't simply listen—he acted.

A few weeks later, Charlie had handed Jasper a folder while they shared a pizza.

"What's this?" Jasper asked, even as he opened the folder to look inside it.

"I did a little digging," Charlie said, hiding a smile under his mustache when Jasper's eyes rounded in shock, "and I pulled a few strings."

Jasper looked up at Charlie. "Is this for real?"

"Says so right there."

Jasper shook his head, overwhelmed. Somehow, Charlie managed to not only find Maria and Nathaniel, but the money that they had stolen form Jasper, as well. The two were apparently caught trying to cross the border to Mexico, with more than enough drugs to send them to jail for a very long time. The cash found on them was tested and tracked, and once it was determined that it was stolen from one Jasper Whitlock's trust fund, the money was returned to his parents' attorney.

"The attorney would have contacted you eventually when he found your new address," Charlie said, picking up a slice of pizza. "I just sped things up."

"All right, I'm here!" Bella announced, chasing away Jasper's recollection of his conversation with her father. "Where is the food?"

"Well, aren't you the spoiled little brat?" Jasper teased. "Pasta is in the pan, and I just finished up the salad. If you get the drinks, I can plate, and we can sit down."

As they sat down at the table, Bella tilted her head and watched Jasper's face carefully. "What had you thinking so heard when I came down?"

Jasper shrugged. "Just thinking about how we met."

"How I ran into you and we both nearly ended up on our asses in front of the airport, you mean," Bella teased.

It had the desired effect of making Jasper smile. "Yeah, that. Speaking of which, did you talk to your dad lately?"

"Shit," Bella muttered, and her hand froze halfway up to her mouth. "When did he call?"

Jasper chuckled. "Just earlier this evening, don't worry. I told him you were up to your neck in a new project. Told me to tell you that Sue says hi and to call him back and let him know how your project turned out."

Bella smiled warmly. She was happy that her father found someone to share his life with. It happened shortly after she and Jasper had moved out of the house, and she'd worried her father—who never remarried after his divorce from her mother and her subsequent leaving of Forks—would be alone and lonely. Sue was a widow from the nearby Quileute tribe, whose husband passed away several years ago and her kids had grown up and left the reservation. "She's good for him."

"Yeah, she is." Jasper ate a forkful of the pasta. "I worried about him when you and I decided to move out."

Finishing the bite she'd just taken, Bella nodded. "Me too. I have to tell you, though, I'm shocked he didn't give you the third degree when you offered that we move in together rather than trying to find two different places."

Jasper smirked. "Oh, don't worry, he did. He just made sure you weren't there to hear it."

Bella's mouth dropped in shock before she smiled. "That cheeky, sneaky…"

"Chief of Police who worries about his only daughter?" Jasper finished for her.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I can see where he was coming from."

They continued to eat in comfortable silence, finishing the pasta and salad. After clearing the dishes into the dish washer, Jasper poured Bella another glass of juice and took a cold beer for himself before settling around the kitchen island again. "So, how is your project coming up?"

"I'm almost finished!" she said, smiling brightly. "I think I have a few more hours tomorrow, but then I'll have the rest of the weekend all to myself."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"What about you? Did you hear back from that client back east?" Bella asked.

Jasper laughed. "Yeah, a few days ago. They liked the initial work, and they'll be contacting me with the details on Monday."

Her eyes widened in delighted surprise. "That's wonderful news, Jay!"

"Yes, it is. Their project is only in the initial stages, though. I doubt there will be much progress before the end of this year. However, should a miracle happen, and they send work my way before the end of this month, it will keep me busy while you turn the entire top floor into a costume warehouse."

Bella threw a napkin at him. "It's not _that_ bad!"

Jasper just looked at her.

"Fine, it _is_ that bad." She chuckled. "But it's only for a couple of weeks before Halloween, and then everything is limited to my bedroom again."

"I still can't believe you let me take the master suite and walk-in closet," Jasper said, shaking his head.

"I don't mind." Bella shrugged. "Besides, you're the prima donna, not me. So you need the space."

It was Jasper's turn to throw a napkin at Bella. Unlike her, he didn't miss, and it landed in her lap after hitting her square in the chest. "I am not a prima donna."

"So who was it that took five hours to get ready for a date last month?" Bella asked innocently.

"Shut up. That was an important date."

"Don't know about important, but you didn't come back until five in the morning." Bella wiggled her brows. "Must have been one smoking hot date."

He chuckled. "It was a good one, yeah. You should have seen the muscles on that guy." Jasper closed his eyes, pretending to think about his date. He was mostly playing it up for Bella's sake, though. There was just no spark with the guy, and Jasper ended up taking a walk around the empty city streets to clear his mind before he returned home.

"Now you're just trying to make me jealous." Bella pouted.

Shortly after they'd moved in together, Jasper finally confided in her his biggest secret. He was bisexual. It took some serious amounts of alcohol for her to pry that from his lips, and he had been scared shitless when he suddenly just blurted those words. Bella's response had been so baffling, so unexpected, that he still shook his head whenever he recalled it.

" _Damn, I bet you could teach me to give one hell of a blowjob, then."_

Jasper had nearly fallen off the couch at that. Granted, Bella had been more than a little drunk herself, but he could see she meant what she said. " _It doesn't bother you?_ "

" _Why would it?"_ she'd shrugged. _"Jasper, I love you for who you are, not for who your dick turns hard for."_

That sentence had him laughing so hard that he'd found himself gasping for breath, rolling on the floor. _"I love you, too, Bella. You're the best friend I could have ever asked for._ "

They'd ended up spending that night on the living room carpeted floor, hugging each other in their drunken slumber. Ever since then, Jasper felt freer than he'd ever been, with anyone, and he quietly thanked God for bringing such a warm, accepting, and loving soul into his life.

"It's not my fault I have better dates than you," Jasper said. "I taught you everything I know. Well, all of the theory if not the practice."

Bella looked at him puzzled before she caught on to the reference. "You're never going to let me forget that one, are you?"

"Nope."

"I was drunk!"

"You know what the mating call of the Southern Bell is?" Jasper asked. Without waiting for a reply, he placed one hand over his forehand, and sighed dramatically. "Oh, I am so drunk."

Bella burst out laughing. "You are so bad."

"I am," he said proudly, making her laugh even harder.

Before Bella could come up with a retort, her cell phone began vibrating with an incoming call.

Picking up the device, Bella looked at the number. It was unfamiliar. "Hello?"

" _Hi, this is Edward Cullen, is this Bella, Bella Swan?_ " a voice from the other end of the line asked.

Bella frowned. Edward Cullen. She hadn't heard that name in years. Since high-school graduation, probably, and that was nearly a decade ago.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked. "Who is it?"

Covering the phone with her palm, Bella said, "It's a blast from the past."

Jasper frowned, not sure what it meant.

"Hi Edward, yes, this is Bella," she said into the phone.

" _Oh, thank god._ " Edward sighed, sounding deeply relieved. " _You can't believe how glad I am that you answered your phone. You're my last hope._ "

Completely baffled, Bella looked up at Jasper and saw his worried expression. "One second, Edward," she said into the phone before muting her side. "Nothing is wrong, Jay. It's Edward Cullen. We went to high school together. I just hadn't heard from him in years."

Jasper's expression didn't relax. "Oh, the geeky one that put stars in your eyes and then left you high and dry when he went to some fancy college halfway across the world?"

Bella snorted. "You have such a way with words, Jay." Shaking her head, she unmuted the call. "You're going to have to explain that one to me, Edward."

A soft, embarrassed chuckle sounded from the other end. " _I know, and I know I'm calling out of the blue after all these years. I'm sorry, but I really need your help_." He paused to take a breath. " _Due to some serious mess up—and this is all Emmett's fault, I swear—but anyway, I am stuck at Sea-Tac airport without my luggage or my wallet, and you're the only one who answered my call._ "

Still suspicious, Bella asked, "What happened?"

" _To cut a long story short, I was coming back to Seattle tonight, but the airline managed to send my luggage to Amsterdam, the landlord I spoke to turns out to be a fraud who split with not only my deposit but at least a dozen more, every single person I could think of calling is either not answering, out of town, or told me to take a hike—admittedly, I was expecting as much from Mike Newton, but I was desperate—and somewhere in the middle of all of this, someone picked my pockets, thus leaving me without a wallet._ " Edward let out a sigh. " _Guess that wasn't that short, huh?_ "

Bella felt her heart soften. "Not too bad in the summary department. I'm not sure how this is Emmett's fault yet, or how you found my number."

" _Emmett was the one who booked my flights and recommended the landlord_ ," Edward replied. " _Though I guess the landlord wasn't really his fault,_ " he allowed. " _As to how I found you, I called your house. At first, no one answered—that was when I desperately tried Mike's number, like the idiot that I am—but then someone picked up at your place._ "

"You talked to Charlie?" Bella couldn't help but laugh. She could just imagine the colorful response Edward had gotten from Mike Newton. There was no love lost between those two.

" _No, I spoke to Sue and was told he was working. I told her I was an old friend from high school who lost contact and asked for your number. She remembered my family and was kind enough to give me your cell_."

Bella sighed. The Cullens were well-known and well-respected in Forks. Carlisle Cullen, Edward's father, was a brilliant doctor, and Esme Cullen was known for her kind heart and charitable work. They had all left Forks a few years ago, but Bella couldn't recall where they had moved to. It didn't surprise her that Sue felt comfortable giving out her number to Edward.

"So let me get this straight," Bella said. "You flew in, found out that your rental fell through, your luggage was sent travelling around the world without you, got pick-pocketed in the process, called Mike Newton—you're definitely an idiot for doing that, I agree—then finally called my house and got my number, and all that within the last few hours?"

" _Yeah, that's pretty much it,_ " Edward said. " _I totally agree regarding Mike. All I can say in my defense is that I was desperate and his was the only number I could find listed._ "

Bella laughed. The hatred between Mike and Edward was legendary. No one really remembered what started it, but Mike couldn't stand Edward and wasn't shy about it. Edward was everything Mike wasn't—intelligent, handsome, polite—and when Jessica Stanley, Mike's on-again-off-again girlfriend, spent the last two years of high school trying to get Edward to ask her out on a date, it solidified the rivalry.

"Sounds like he's had quite an adventure," Jasper remarked. He was sitting right next to Bella and could hear both sides of the conversation. "How about we pick the poor idiot up from the airport and give him a place to stay for the night?"

Bella narrowed her eyes. Jasper was up to something. She was certain of it.

" _Who's that?_ " Edward asked. " _Dear lord, is that your husband? I swear, I don't want to cause you trouble. I didn't even know—_ "

"No, no, Jasper isn't my husband." She chuckled, amused by Edward's immediate panic. He was always very proper, and it seemed as though that hadn't changed. "He's my roommate, and he's right. We'll come pick your poor idiotic self from the airport and give you a place to stay for the night."

" _You're an angel!_ "

"Oh, she's more like a devil," Jasper threw in, smirking. He took the phone from Bella and said, "Stay put, Edward, we'll be there in about forty minutes. Try not to get robbed of anything else while you wait."

Edward laughed. " _All right, I deserved that one. Thank you, guys, you're truly life-savers._ "

"Don't thank us just yet, Edward," Bella cautioned after she got her phone back. Seeing the expression on Jasper's face, she knew he was up to some mischief. "I think Jasper might be worse than my dad in giving you the third degree."

" _The only skeleton in my closet is Emmett, and you already know him_ ," Edward said nonchalantly.

"Brave little geek, that one," Jasper remarked once Bella disconnected the call.

Bella glared at him. "Don't start with me, Jasper."

"He hurt you, Bella," Jasper said, turning serious. "There's no statute of limitation on that."

She sighed. "It was years ago, Jay. Let it go. I have."

He still wasn't convinced. "How about you tell me exactly what happened between you while I drive us to the airport." Jasper knew that the few details he'd gotten from her before was nowhere near the full story of what happened between her and Edward Cullen.

Knowing he wouldn't budge on it, Bella agreed and went upstairs to change before they left the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Thank you to LeeorV for giving this chapter a good polish. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.
> 
> Story Summary: AH, AU, Very mature. Jasper and Bella had been living together for several years, enjoying a causal relationship with no strings attached. All that changes one evening, with one phone call from Bella’s mythological ex—Edward Cullen. Edward asks for a rescue, but will he end up saving Bella and Jasper, instead? Includes poly & slash.

**Chapter Two**

"So what happened between you two?" Jasper asked as soon as they pulled out of the driveway.

Bella leaned her head against the window. "Edward moved to Forks with his family during my junior year of high school. He was an instant hit with the girls, who all nearly fell over themselves trying to get him to date one of them. I was the embodiment of a wallflower in high school, so while I noticed how good-looking he was, I wasn't brave enough to do anything about it." She smiled at herself. "He was my first crush, and I think my dad hated him just on that principle, though I have no idea how my usually-oblivious father knew who the subject of my interest was."

Jasper chuckled. "Your dad is very observant when he wants to be."

"That he is," she agreed. "Anyway, fast forward to senior year. Edward was late on the first day of school, and by the time he came into the classroom, all the seats except the one next to me were taken. So he took that seat and became my lab partner for the rest of the year."

"And romance bloomed?"

"Hardly!" Bella snorted. "Wallflower, remember? It took me six months before I gathered the courage to ask Edward to join me on a group date to the movies in Port Angeles. When I arrived at the cinema, I found out that everyone except Edward had bailed." She made a face. "I think it was supposed to be a prank at my expense. You know, get the mousy girl to think you're including her in an outing only to leave her high and dry and laugh at how pathetic she is?"

"Yeah, teenagers are evil." Jasper recalled some his own high school experiences. "I guess that worked out, though?"

"I guess." Bella smiled, recalling the date fondly. "Edward decided that since neither of us was interested in any of the featured movies, we should go to dinner and take a walk on the boardwalk instead."

"Oh, so he's the romantic type."

Bella glanced at Jasper, seeing the small curve of his lips. "He was," she agreed. "We had a great time, and I did have stars in my eyes by the end of the night." Shaking her head at her past self, Bella continued, "We went on to several more dates. He was my first kiss, my first love…"

Jasper glanced at Bella when she trailed off, seemingly lost in her memories for a moment. Seeing her expression, he exclaimed, "Oh!"

"What?"

"He was your first."

"That's what I just said."

"No, he was your _first,_ " Jasper emphasized the word. Stopping at a red light, he turned to look at her. "You never forget your first."

Bella tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, a dead giveaway she was embarrassed. "Yeah, he was my first."

"So what happened?"

"He got accepted to an art program in England." She sighed. "He was a very talented musician, and I told him that he should go. I wouldn't hold him back."

"Oh, honey." Jasper reached over the console to take her hand. "Your heart is too kind."

"Maybe." Bella shrugged. "But you would have done the same, Jay."

He sighed. "Yeah, probably. If he's as talented as you say, I would have told him to follow his dreams."

"He is, well, at least he was." She frowned, trying to think if she'd read anything about Edward Cullen recently. During the first few months after graduation, she refused to even mention his name. Then, as time passed and her heart healed, she found herself too busy and too focused on her goals to allow her thoughts to wander to her first boyfriend. "I didn't keep track of him, so I don't really know what he's been up to since then."

"Well, we're going to have an opportunity to find out, won't we?" Jasper asked gleefully.

Bella laughed. "I don't think Edward Cullen is ready for the force of nature that is Jasper Whitlock."

Jasper flashed her a smirk as he made a turn. "No one is, Sewing Beauty."

Bella kept smiling the rest of the way. That was Jasper. He always knew how to make her smile, no matter what was happening in her life. He'd nicknamed her Sewing Beauty after one too many times of finding her sleeping on the floor of her bedroom-turned-studio, needle still in hand. She found that she didn't mind it.

o.O.o

Bella was surprised at her instant recognition of Edward Cullen. Despite the near decade of years that had passed since their last meeting, he was still very much the same. Tall, muscular, and—yes, she was woman enough to admit—still oozing sex appeal.

Jasper was his charming self as they made introductions and piled back into the car to make their way back to their place, and Bella knew that her friend accepted her ex-boyfriend. Even if it was probationary.

They kept the conversation light as Jasper drove, with Bella mostly filling Edward in on the goings on in Forks—she particularly enjoyed his snort of laughter when she told him that Jessica Stanley ended up marrying, divorcing, and marrying again one Mike Newton.

Once they were back in the house, Jasper showed Edward to the guestroom while Bella went to the kitchen to put together a late-night snack.

Jasper returned downstairs without Edward. "He said he was going to take a shower and then join us here," he explained at her questioning glance. "I gave him a change of clothes. My shirt might be a little tight on him, but it's better than nothing."

"Thank you." Bella gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I'm making a roasted bruschetta with pancetta and parmesan and heating up some tomato soup, so you can set up the table," she told him, turning back to the task of slicing the bread. They'd finished the pasta during dinner, so she had to come up with something else.

Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist after her back was turned to him. "How are you holding up?" he asked in a whisper against her ear.

Bella turned to look at him and smiled when he placed a soft kiss against her lips. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking." She glanced to make sure they were still alone in the kitchen before adding, "I might be crawling into your bed tonight, though. I have a feeling I won't want to sleep alone."

Jasper smiled and kissed her again, tasting her mouth briefly before pulling back. "You're always welcome there, you know that."

"I do." Bella allowed herself a moment to lean against Jasper, taking comfort in his familiar and warm body. "I love you, Jasper. Now, go get the table set."

Edward froze on the stairs as he heard Bella's last sentence. He had been curious about the exact nature of their relationship ever since hearing a male voice over the phone. They seemed to be closer than friends, but they didn't act the way he expected a couple to.

"Love you too, Sewing Beauty," Jasper replied. He stepped aside and reached for the drawer to get the cutlery. "Kitchen island is okay, my princess?"

Bella's laughter filled the room with warmth, making Edward frown even more than he already was. Calling himself ten degrees of stupid, he schooled his face and descended the last few stairs, making his presence known to the others. "Can I do anything to help?"

Bella turned to look at a freshly showered Edward and had to bite her tongue for a moment. _Damn, but he looks good enough to eat._

Jasper saw the flash of desire in Bella's face and wondered if their evening wasn't about to get that much more interesting. "I'll get us something to drink while you finish up here, Bella." Turning to Edward, he asked, "Water, apple juice, or a cold beer, what's your poison?"

"Beer, please," Edward said, coming to sit at the island.

Jasper took out two bottle of beer and a carton of apple juice for Bella. Placing the drinks on the kitchen island, he finished setting the table and sat down across from Edward.

"So, Edward, what have you been up to these years?" Jasper asked. "Bella was skimpy on the details."

"I didn't know the details, you nosey bird, or I would have told you," Bella retorted, closing the oven door after putting the tray with the bruschetta inside.

Edward chuckled, slowly relaxing after the long day he'd had. "I finished college and tried my hand at working for several orchestras across Europe. I was in Italy, I believe, when I realized that I hated the people, hated the constant travel, and I was even starting to hate the piano, so I quit the orchestra and spent the rest of the year trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself."

"So what did you come up with?" Bella asked, looking up from the pot she was stirring. She was saddened to think of him hating the piano. He was truly a gifted musician who not only played but also composed.

"Well, I found out I have a knack for business," he answered her. "I went back to college to get my master's degree. I was lucky to land an apprenticeship with a large company in England during my senior year. I worked there for five years, learning the ropes, then decided that I was ready to start my own business. I sold my apartment, quit my job, thought I found an apartment in Seattle, sent my luggage on a trip around the world, and ended up being pickpocketed in Sea-Tac airport before picking up the phone and calling an old friend, praying she wouldn't throw me to the curb."

"Nah, our Bella is too kind-hearted to do that," Jasper said. "What kind of business are you starting?"

Edward was quiet for several long minutes. "I'm still working out the details of my business plan," he finally said vaguely.

Bella's heart fell. That didn't sound like a plan at all. She exchanged a glance with Jasper and saw that he was thinking the same.

"And that sounds like I have no idea what I'm doing." Edward let out a breath. He took a long drink from his beer before sighing. "The company I want to start is an indie-game development studio. My degree was in computer science and business management."

"Shut up!" Jasper was so surprised he nearly dropped his own bottle. "Really? No way!"

Confused, Edward could do nothing but stare from a smiling Jasper to an amused Bella.

"What Jasper is trying to say in his oh-so-eloquent way is that he thinks your idea is amazing," Bella said. "Our Jay is still learning to use big words."

"Fuck me, Bella, can't let a guy be a little excited, can you?" Jasper shot her a semi-insulted look.

Bella smirked. "Not in front of Edward, Jay. I don't think he's into voyeurism."

Edward's jaw almost hit the tabletop at her reply. Was that Bella teasing like that? His sweet innocent Bella? Looking between her and Jasper, he realized that she might still be a sweetheart, but she probably wasn't innocent anymore.

"Stop pulling the poor fool's leg, Bella," Jasper said, unable to keep a straight face anymore. "You'll have to excuse Bella, Edward. She's been off her meds for a few days."

"Keep at it, and I won't make you any more pancakes for breakfast," Bella threatened.

Jasper gasped theatrically. "Not the pancakes!"

Bella stuck her tongue out at him, and Edward lost it, bursting in a full belly laughter. "You two are impossible!"

"It's an art," Jasper said casually, taking another sip of his beer. "Now Edward, back to what you were saying earlier. You're starting an indie-game development studio. I'm guessing you're going to do both the coding and the music?"

Edward nodded. Despite the jealousy he still felt at Jasper's close relationship with Bella, he couldn't help but like the guy. "I have an idea for the general structure of the first game I want to make, and I've even composed a few pieces."

Bella tuned the rest of the conversation out as soon as they got into technical terms. Her eyes simply glazed over whenever Jasper got too technical. Deeming the soup warm enough, she checked on the bruschetta in the oven. They were ready as well, so she pulled the tray out and arranged the pieces of bread on a wooden cutting board before filling two bowls with hot tomato and basil soup. With the way the guys were going, she had a feeling they would be talking way into the small hours of the night.

Jasper paused the conversation when Bella served the food. Taking an appreciative sniff of the soup, he turned to kiss her on the cheek. "You are an angel in the kitchen, Bella."

"And a devil in the living room," she retorted with a smirk.

"That's true," Jasper quickly agreed, earning himself a poke to his ribs from said devil. "Hey, where's your bowl of soup?"

"Not that hungry." Bella shrugged. She grabbed one bruschetta and bit into the crunchy bread. "Mmm… These came out really yummy."

"Pretty much everything you make comes out yummy," Jasper corrected and picked up his spoon. "Which platforms are you aiming to release the game on?" he turned to Edward.

"Ugh." Bella groaned. "You two are going to be impossible, aren't you?"

Edward smiled at her sheepishly. "Sorry."

Stifling a yawn, Bella waved his apology away. "It's okay. I'm tired anyway. I think I'm going to go up to bed." She turned to place a kiss on Jasper's cheek. "Don't forget to start the dishwasher before you go to sleep."

"No problem," Jasper said. "You sleep in tomorrow. It's Saturday, and you need the rest."

"Yes, daddy." Bella rolled her eyes as she stood up.

"Isabella…" Jasper's voice turned serious, and he gave her a stern look.

Bella burst out laughing. "Nope, Jay, not even close to Charlie. Night!"

"Good night, Bella," Edward called after her as she walked out of the room. "So, you've met Charlie?"

Jasper nodded. "Lived with him and Bella for about six months."

Edward dropped his spoon, splashing some soup on the table. "Say what?"

Jasper smirked, handing Edward a napkin. "Let me tell you how Bella and I, literally, ran into each other…"

o.O.o

After taking a long hot shower, Bella put on her favorite pajama—a pair of fluffy boxers and a shirt she'd stolen from Jasper a few years ago—and slipped into Jasper's bed. It might be a few more hours before he came up, but she really didn't want to sleep alone that night.

Falling asleep took longer than she'd thought it would, considering how tired and worn out she'd been and how little sleep she'd gotten the past week, but her thoughts just wouldn't calm. She relived so many memories of her high school senior year, and all of them revolved around Edward.

She was still tossing and turning when Jasper walked into the darkened room.

"Bella?" he asked softly. "Why are you still awake, honey?"

"Mind wouldn't settle." She sighed and clicked on the switch to turn on the bedside light. "You and Edward seemed to click."

He came to sit down next to her. Tilting his head, he examined her expression, wondering what she was thinking. "Yeah, he seems like a nice guy."

"You like him," Bella said with realization, her lips curving up in a smile.

"Yeah, that's what I just said." When Bella just continued to smile, he asked, "What?"

"You _like_ him, like him."

"What are we, four-year-olds?" he asked, chuckling despite himself. "Yeah, I like him, but I think he'd rather find you in his bed than me."

Bella giggled. "You never know. I mean, I didn't guess you enjoyed driving stick at first."

"You know, I think I have a foolproof way to get you to fall asleep." Jasper winked at her. "Let me just grab a shower, and I'll be right back."

"I'll keep the bed warm," Bella called after him.

o.O.o

Edward honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop. Well, he _mostly_ didn't mean to. Only a little. Okay, so he was totally listening in on Jasper and Bella. He followed Jasper up the stairs and took note of the door Jasper chose. Once that door closed behind him, Edward walked back to the other side of the landing and peeked into the two other rooms, finding them empty of Bella.

Returning to his own room, he paused next to the closed bedroom door and waited a moment.

" _Yeah, I like him, but I think he'd rather find you in his bed than me,_ " he heard Jasper say.

Bella's giggle followed. " _You never know. I mean, I didn't guess you enjoyed driving stick at first._ "

Edward straightened, utterly confused. Were they implying that Jasper was gay? No way. He'd witnessed the sexual chemistry between Bella and Jasper himself. Hearing the sound of water running, Edward walked into the guestroom and closed the door behind him.

He was bone tired, but his mind was going a thousand miles a minute. If he set aside the fact that Jasper was currently enjoying the warmth of the woman Edward suspected he had never truly gotten over, Jasper was a great guy. He had a sharp mind and a wicked sense of humor. He had some great ideas for Edward's game, and their discussion gave Edward hope that his newest endeavor wasn't as crazy as everyone who'd heard about it kept telling him.

Stripping down to his boxers, Edward climbed into the soft bed. Folding his hands behind his back, he stared at the white ceiling. The running water sound stopped, and Edward listened to the silence stretch. He wondered if he would hear more, if he wanted to hear more. Closing his eyes, he cast his mind back almost ten years to the only night he had spent with Bella. She had been his first, and he worried he would fumble so badly that she would run away from him. Perhaps the time that had passed colored his memories a rosy hue, but he found himself smiling as he recalled her soft sighs, her hesitant touch on his body, and the cry of pleasure when he finally managed to roll down the condom and unite their bodies.

His thoughts were so preoccupied with his memories that it took him several minutes to realize that the sounds he was hearing weren't coming from his minds but from the room next to him. It was soft and almost intelligible at first, but after a few moments, he could clearly hear moans and groans.

There were soft murmurs, too soft to carry over clearly past the wall, but they were followed by a deep groan that had Edward groaning himself. This wasn't happening. He wasn't listening in on his ex-lover having sex with her current lover, and he was _definitely_ not getting aroused. Evidence to the contrary be damned.

Edward's hands definitely didn't travel down his body and under the fabric of his underwear, and he was definitely not pacing his strokes to the sounds coming from the other room. He was _not_ imagining Bella riding Jasper, and he was definitely not picturing himself joining them.

"I'm pathetic," he whispered to himself in the dark room before finally giving up and walking into the adjoined shower. Turning on the hot water, Edward closed his eyes and let his imagination run wild. His hand was a poor excuse to what he really wanted to be thrusting into, but it was all he had. It was over quickly, and he felt just as unsatisfied at the end as before, but at least he was certain he was tired enough to sleep.

o.O.o

Bella woke up early the next morning. The soft rays of the sun that spilled into the room from the large windows teased her eyelids until she opened them. Jasper's massage last night after his shower worked its magic and ended with her fully relaxed and sleepy. There was something to be said for a programmer's hands, she thought, looking down at the large hands with long fingers that rested on her stomach as Jasper spooned her from behind. _Or a musician's._

_Don't go there, Bella. That way lies madness!_

"Mmm… Baby, you keep wiggling like that, you're going to get something to wiggle on," Jasper's sleepy voice came from behind her.

Bella smiled and intentionally pushed her ass backward, enjoying the feeling of Jasper's stiffening body rubbing against her. "Maybe I want to have something to wiggle on," she replied, turning her head around to meet Jasper's half-open eyes. "Last night I fell asleep before we got to the good part."

His lips curved on one side, causing him to look almost devilish. "Think you can keep yourself quiet this time?" he asked. "Or your knight in wrinkled t-shirt might come storming the castle to save you from the evil dragon."

Bella turned to face him and pressed her hand to his warm naked chest, slowly trailing down until she reached his semi-hard cock. Wrapping her fingers around him, she began working him into a full erection. "I think the question should be, can _you_ keep quiet enough," she said when he let out a groan.

"Minx," he accused. He was fully awake and fully aroused. Sliding his hands around the sides of her body, he easily lifted her and swung her to straddle him. "Kiss me, baby. I miss tasting you."

With a wide smile, she leaned down to take his mouth and let him capture her moan. There was nothing in the world like Jasper's kisses, or Jasper's touches, or the way he could make her feel like the only woman in the world.

As the kiss deepened and ignited the fire between them, Bella found she didn't want a long foreplay. "Jasper," she murmured against his lips, her body already rocking on top of him.

"Yeah, baby." His hands curved around her thighs, guiding her until she was poised just right for him to slide inside her.

Throwing her head back in a deep moan, Bella's breath caught when Jasper was seated fully inside her. She always marveled at how wonderful and surprising that first moment of joining always felt to her. It was only a momentary pause, though, because her body demanded more, and she was powerless and unwilling to deny it. She began to rock above him, back and forth, riding in a slowly increasing pace.

Jasper thrust upward, matching his movements to hers, and watched her beautiful eyes darken with lust. Bella was sweet and shy sometimes, but when he was inside her, there was no shyness between them. Lifting himself from the pillow he latched onto one nipple and began to suckle, still watching her eyes. He loved seeing her mind fog over with passion, and he knew her body so well that it was as natural as breathing for him to find all the right places to touch her.

It also meant she knew his body just as well. As she wrapped one hand around his nape, holding him against her breast, she lowered her head to whisper to him encouragements.

"God, Jay, you feel so good inside me. Yes, baby, right there, I'm so close. Fuck, how can you make me come within seconds?"

Letting out a deep chuckle, Jasper switched to her other nipple, suckling it deep into the crevices of his mouth. Moving one hand to her ass, he began pressing her down to rub her clit against his pubic bone as she continued to ride him.

He felt the first small tightening of her inner muscles around him and knew she was right on the edge. Letting go of her breast, he captured her mouth, knowing that if he didn't, she would be screaming her orgasm. While he had no problem letting everyone—Edward especially—know just how good he could make his girl feel, he knew Bella preferred not to advertise her pleasure to anyone besides him.

As her movements became even more erratic, Jasper guided her with his hands and body, thrusting upward faster and faster, until she screamed into his mouth and her body went taut with her climax. The muscles that gripped him contracted so powerfully that moments later, he followed her.

They collapsed on the bed, Bella sprawling over Jasper's chest, panting heavily.

"I love myself a quickie first thing in the morning," she murmured, still trying to catch her breath.

Jasper merely grunted in agreement. Closing his eyes, he was basking in the afterglow.

"Are you falling asleep on me?" Bella demanded a few moments later when she noticed that his breathing was evening out.

"Maybe," he grunted, not opening his eyes.

Smiling to herself, Bella placed a soft kiss on his chest and rolled out of bed. Bending over to give him another kiss on his forehead, she murmured, "I'm going downstairs, join me when you feel like getting out of bed."

Sleepily, he nodded and burrowed into his pillow.

Still smiling, Bella brushed a hand through the mess of curls on the pillow and felt her heart swell inside her. She was truly the luckiest woman in the world to have her best friend and best lover all rolled into this one beautiful, kind, gentle man. They never put labels on their relationships, and they both dated others on occasion, but it was always lacking something. Every time, they found that they were turning to each other.

Thinking about the man in the next room, Bella found herself wondering just what changes Edward's return to her life would bring. Would it even change anything at all? She didn't know.

Walking slowly out of the room, Bella made her way across the hall to her own bedroom. She took a quick shower and sat down to finish the binding on the corset she was sewing. It was the final piece to a three-piece costume that consisted of a cream underdress, a red and gold over dress, and a matching corset in red, black, and gold. The corset was by far the most labor-intensive item of the three.

Two hours later, the corset was done, and Bella stretched her aching muscles. Carefully placing the finished garment on her work surface, she carefully examined all of the details in the corset. She could see a few minor flaws she knew only she would ever be able to see and sighed. "I now pronounce you finished!" she said quietly, chuckling under her breath.

It took thirty more minutes to pack the costume, carefully lining each layer with wrapping paper, but Bella was smiling when she was done. As always, as soon as one project was done, another was forming in her mind.

With her mind swirling with ideas, Bella glanced at the screen of her mobile phone. It was half past nine in the morning. Just enough time to make a big breakfast for everyone. She didn't know if Edward was an early riser or not, but since the house was still quiet, she figured he was still asleep.

Softly humming under her breath, Bella went down the stairs and into the kitchen. There were no traces of last night's meal, and she made a mental note to thank Jasper for it. Positive reinforcement was important when training a housemate, she thought with a chuckle.

Looking through the contents of the pantry and refrigerator, Bella pondered what she felt like making. After a few moments of thought, she had her menu planned out and set out to work.

She started with the bread, as it would need time to proof. After making the initial yeast mixture, Bella decided that she wanted some music to keep her company while she cooked. Picking up her phone, she opened her favorite music app and tapped on the daily mix. Setting the volume to low, she left the phone in a bowl to the side. She knew from painful past experience that baking and mobile phones did not mix well.

Adding the flour into the yeast mixture, she began to combine the dough for the bread. Once it was combined, she turned it over to a flour dusted countertop and proceeded to knead it for a few minutes, working up a light sweat. Satisfied with the result, she set the dough aside, covered with a towel.

While the dough was proofing, she raided the pantry for almonds, dried cranberries, oats, cashew nuts, and brown sugar. Mixing everything in a large bowl, Bella added maple syrup, oil, a bit of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt before spreading the sticky result onto a baking sheet. Granola in the oven, Bella took a break to clean the dishes she had used and wipe down the countertops.

She had about forty-five minutes before the dough would be ready to be shaped into bread and the same before the granola needed to be out of the oven to cool. In the meantime, she decided she was ready to put her idea for her next costume on paper. It was easy enough to find the sketch pad she'd left downstairs just for that purpose, pick up a pencil from the jar next to the bowl of fruits on the counter, and sit down at the kitchen island.

Bella worked quickly, with long, confident strokes of the pencil on the paper. Once the basic shape was outlined, she began to add in the details. At the sides of the paper, she drew larger versions of details that she wanted to incorporate. Unlike her last project, she didn't have an order for this one, but she was confident enough that once it was put up on her online store, it would fly off the virtual shelf.

"Everyone loves fairies," she murmured as she added a pair of huge wings to her drawing. She had no idea how she would be able to construct them to be light enough to wear yet strong enough to maintain the shape, but that sort of practical thinking was for later.

The timer buzzed much sooner than she'd expected, causing her to jump. Laughing at herself, she set aside the sketch pad and turned to take the granola out of the oven.

Once the granola was cooling on the rack, Bella took out the dough from the bowl and shaped it into a loaf of bread, scoring the top diagonally three times. After another short rest, the dough went in the oven, giving Bella another forty minutes to work on her sketch.

She turned to a new sheet of paper and outlined a companion outfit. It was a rare occasion that she designed male clothing, but something inspired her to give it a go. It would be tricky to create something a man would wear, meaning nothing too tight or transparent, but she felt her fairy needed a counterpart. Bella was biting the end of her pencil—a habit of hers when she was deep in thought—when the timer buzzed again.

She checked on the bread and set another timer, deeming it in need of a few more minutes. It was then that Bella noticed just how good the kitchen smelled. The aroma of freshly baked bread was heavy in the air, and she found herself grinning. If this didn't bring the guys out of their beds, nothing would.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Jasper appeared first, his hair sticking in every possible direction, eyes still blurry with sleep, and lips stretched into a wide grin. "Good morning, Bella," he said hoarsely, his voice about as awake as the rest of him. Then he made a face. "Is that a Taylor Swift song?"

Tuning in to the song playing on her phone, Bella chuckled. "Yeah, but I think it's a cover someone made."

"Ugh." Jasper grunted. Following his nose into the kitchen, he peeked into the oven through the door. "Is that fresh bread, Bella? Please tell me it's your fresh bread."

Laughing at the pleading tone in his hoarse voice, Bella confirmed, "Yes, it's my fresh bread. Go brush your teeth and comb your hair. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" he asked, smiling like a fool.

"Yeah, yeah." She nearly pushed him out of the kitchen. "Go make yourself presentable. And see if Edward is awake."

"I'm going, I'm going!"

Laughing, Bella turned to take the bread out of the oven. While the guys went through their morning routines, she put the finishing touches on breakfast—tossing up a green salad, making hollandaise sauce, and frying several strips of bacon. She was waiting to hear the guys come down again before she put the eggs into the boiling water to poach them as they needed to be served right as they came out.

"Good morning," she called when she heard the first set of footsteps coming down.

A moment later a dual chorus of, "Good morning," came in reply from behind her.

Edward couldn't believe how good the kitchen smelled. If whatever Bella placed on his plate tasted half as good as it smelled, he would probably drop to his knees and worship her like an ancient goddess.

"Take a seat, I'm just about ready to plate," Bella instructed. "Jasper, please get take care of the drinks. I want the OJ."

"Sure thing, honey," Jasper replied and proceeded to do as ordered. "Edward, what are you having?"

Edward's fog-encrusted mind was not awake enough for him to understand the question's true meaning, so he responded, "I think I'm having a religious revelation."

Jasper laughed and clapped him on his back. "Yeah, Bella's cooking would do that to a man. Coffee?"

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Edward nodded. "Yes, please. Black, one sugar."

"Coming right up," Jasper said and went to the small coffee maker he'd bought once he realized that Bella did not drink coffee. He still didn't understand how she could survive without a cup or ten to help her wake up in the morning, but he gave up trying to fully understand women long ago. It was an exercise in futility. Besides, life was just that much more interesting when you got to be surprised every once in a while.

Ten minutes later, the table was full of food. Each person had two slices of the freshly baked bread, topped with strips of bacon, a poached egg, and covered with a thick yellow sauce. To the side was a pile of green leaves—Bella insisted that they have some vegetables along with the heart attack on a plate—and a small bowl with granola, Greek yogurt, and freshly-cut fruits covered in thin strips of honey and maple for dessert.

After taking the first bite of his Eggs Benedict, Edward moaned loudly and stared at Bella. "Will you marry me, Bella?" he blurted.

Jasper choked on his food, and Bella sprayed some orange juice on her napkin.

Edward closed his eyes in mortification. Yeah, he just blurted a proposal out loud over a forkful of eggs and toast. His brain officially did not yet wake up.

Seeing the hint of red on his cheeks, Bella decided that he looked absolutely adorable. "Where's my ring?" she demanded. "No ring, no marriage!"

Relieved, Edward smiled. "I'd give the riches of the land and sea to have a breakfast like this every weekend. This is delicious, Bella. Thank you."

"You're most welcome, Edward."

Finally recovered from his near-death choking experience, Jasper pretended to frown at Edward. "So that's the way it is, huh? I save your ass, let you stay at my house, and you're trying to steal my girl?"

Edward smirked. "If the girl is worth stealing, of course!"

Bella giggled. "You two are adorable." She placed a kiss on Jasper's cheek then walked over to place one on Edward's. "No one is stealing me. You both met my father, so you know what would happen to the idiot who tries."

Both Edward and Jasper chuckled, nodding in agreement. Charlie's protectiveness over Bella was well-known to both of them.

The rest of the meal went by in a similar fashion—with cheerful good spirits and easy conversation. Once they were done, Jasper and Edward ordered Bella to rest and took care of the cleanup.

Bella stretched on the couch in the living room and sighed in contentment. This Saturday was going to be a good day. She could just feel it in her bones. Glancing at the two guys in the kitchen, quietly bantering as they took care of the dishes, she wondered if, perhaps, it wasn't she who had come to Edward's rescue, but Edward who came to save her and Jasper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Next chapter will be up here next Saturday, until then, don't forget to stay safe and sane (well, as much as you can, lol)  
> Alley Cat


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shopping trip, gifts for the guys, several episodes of Nailed It!, and one kiss that leaves all three of them hot and bothered.

**Chapter Three**

It was early afternoon. The guys were in the living room, playing some game on the large TV, and Bella worked on her new sketches in the dining area table that was located at a small nook to the side of the kitchen. The table was larger than the kitchen island that separated the kitchen from the living room, allowing her more space to spread out fabric samples, embellishments, and several pieces of patterns from previously completed garments.

She was making a list of materials she would need to purchase when something occurred to her, and she glanced at Edward and Jasper in the living room. Finishing her list, she organized all of the paper patterns in a neat pile, returned the fabric samples, buttons, embellishments, and all the little bits and bobs to their respective boxes, and carried everything back up the stairs to her room.

While on the second floor, Bella snuck into Edward's bedroom and scoped out the small pile of clothes on the chair. Jasper had lent him a fresh shirt and a pair of sweats so he could wear until his luggage arrived, but that wasn't going to happen before Monday morning at the earlier. Satisfied that she had his sizes all written up, Bella returned to her room and changed out of her baggy shirt and shorts.

Coming back downstairs, she grabbed the car keys from the bowl near the front door and called, "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Sure thing, Bella," Jasper replied automatically. He was used to Bella suddenly deciding she needed to get a piece of fabric in the middle of the weekend while she worked on her projects.

Edward lost focus, getting killed in the game he and Jasper were playing. "Where is she going to?" he asked as he waited for his character to respawn.

"Shopping, probably," Jasper said casually as she slipped out of the house. He was focusing on learning the attack pattern of the monster they were fighting. So far, it didn't look good. Edward hadn't respawned yet, and he was losing health quickly. "Either for fabrics, small knickknacks, or ice cream."

"Hmm… Ice cream sounds like a good idea," Edward admitted as his character finally appeared on the screen.

Jasper grunted, cursing when the monster killed him and Edward simultaneously. Again. "You can text her and ask if you want. Tell her to get cookie dough fudge mint chip."

Edward frowned. There was something familiar about that flavor combination. "Cookie dough fudge mint chip?"

Jasper smirked. "Yeah." He wondered if Edward would get the reference or if he even remembered that Bella was a huge fan of the show.

Still pondering the familiarity of that, Edward picked up his phone and decided to look it up. There it was, on the first page of the search results. "Is she still making you watch reruns every Halloween?"

Jasper chuckled. "It's our favorite past time. As soon as the neighborhood kids finish their trick-or-treat rounds, it's Buffy time."

"I think I haven't seen an episode in…at least a decade."

"Shh!" Jasper dramatically glanced at the closed front door. "Don't let _her_ hear you say something like that!"

Edward chuckled. He texted Bella, _Jasper wants ice cream. If you're passing through an ice cream shop, can you get a cookie dough fudge mint for him and a vanilla strawberry for me?_

A moment later, Bella returned a laughing emoji followed by, _I'm on it. Tell Jasper to get ready for a sing-along tonight. Once More with Feeling._

"I hope your voice is better than Bella's," Edward said to Jasper after reading her text. "Because otherwise, I'm going to need some ear plugs tonight."

Jasper shook his head. "She's threatening me with that for years, but she knows I will tease her mercilessly if she tries to croak out even a single line."

"So that hasn't changed, huh?" Edward put the phone down and picked up the controller. "She never could carry a tune."

"Nope, she's got other talents."

Edward took note of the satisfied smile across Jasper's lips and couldn't help but think about the night before and what he had heard coming from the bedroom next to his. He wondered if he should let sleeping dogs lie. He had no right to ask.

_But, damn it, I need to know._

"Jasper… You and Bella…"

Jasper glanced at Edward, raising a brow when he just trailed off. "Bella and I?"

"You two are close."

Jasper nodded. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Edward felt his heart sink. "She loves you." It wasn't a question. He'd heard her say so herself.

Again, Jasper nodded. "And I love her. Your point?"

"I don't know if I have one." Edward's shoulder slumped. "Why did she say you were just roommates?" he suddenly demanded.

Pausing the game, Jasper turned to look at the young man sitting next to him. There was pain in his eyes, and Jasper found that he didn't like that. "Bella and I…we never put labels on our relationship. I think we never felt we needed them. She's my best friend, she's my lover, and she's the only family I have left. Well, I consider Charlie an honorary uncle, but that's thanks to Bella, too." He sighed, wondering how to explain something he wasn't sure he ever formulated in his mind. "I would walk on burning coals for her, and I know she would do the same for me."

Edward nodded. He wasn't ready for the pain that was suddenly tearing through him. He hadn't seen Bella in a decade, for heaven's sake! How could he have fallen head over heel for her again within less than twelve hours?

"Edward," Jasper tried to draw his attention. When he didn't respond, Jasper placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, feeling how stiff the muscles beneath his hand were. "Bella cares for you, too. You have to know that."

Edward raised eyes that revealed too much. "When I left all those years ago, I thought I wouldn't ever be able to breathe again. She was like air to me." He didn't know why he was telling all of this to Bella's lover of all people, but somehow, the gentleness in Jasper's eyes spurred him on. "I realize now how pathetic that might sound, but I pined for her for months. Then, one day, the heavy chains around my chest weren't so tight, and I could take a deep breath. Then, the next week, I could smile without feeling like I was cracking on the inside."

"You were healing," Jasper said quietly, his hand slowly rubbing circles on Edward's back. "That's not a crime."

"It felt like I was betraying her," Edward whispered. He took a deep breath. "Then, more time passed, and I was able to tuck her into a corner in the back of my mind and close that part of myself off. I dated other women, slept with some. I almost believed I was over her. Then, I heard her voice over the phone, and it's like I'm seventeen all over again." Burying his face in his palms, he fisted his hair. "I can't believe I'm still in love with her."

Jasper smiled gently. "She has that effect on people, Edward. We can't help who our heart chooses, and Bella is very easily to love. Trust me, I know." Tilting his head, Jasper waited until Edward looked up at him again. "I told you that I ran into her, literally. What I didn't mention was that I fell for her right in that second. Oh, I fought it. Don't forget I was living with her and Charlie the first six months."

Edward was able to chuckle at that. "Charlie would have shot you if you tried to touch his baby girl."

"He still might," Jasper said seriously, thinking about the older man's possible reaction to his relationship with Bella. "But even after we moved here, I fought it. I dated others, slept with others, but there was always something missing."

"Bella is one of a kind," Edward agreed.

"She is, but she's not the only one, Edward," Jasper said softly, looking into Edward's expressive green eyes. "You're not so bad yourself."

Had anyone else told him that, Edward would probably have punched them for being so condescending. Coming from Jasper, it felt different. "Thanks. I think."

"Would you prefer it if I told you that you have beautiful green eyes?" Jasper teased.

Edward just stared at him, a brow raised as if to say, _really, man?_

Jasper took note of Edward's reaction carefully. There was no disgust there. _Progress? Possibly_. Deciding that they needed a change of subject, he said, "Fine. Now, are you going to help me kick this boss's ass, or are we gonna wallow in our sorrows a little more?"

Edward smirked, picking up his controller again. "Let me show you how it's done, rookie."

o.O.o

A few hours later, Bella walked back into the house, carrying so many bags that she was practically obscured by them.

Jasper and Edward immediately jumped to take some of the burden off her hands.

"Damn, Bella, did you leave anything for the rest of Seattle?" Edward asked, slightly shocked at the number of bags.

"Maybe." Bella rolled her eyes. "There are a couple more in the car, Jay."

Taking the keys from her, he nodded and slipped out.

"Now, these are going to my room," Bella said, pointing at the two largest bags. "Would you be a dear and get them upstairs? Just put them on the floor somewhere."

Edward sighed. She gave him her sweetest smile, the one that had him thinking about puppies and kittens, and he melted. "Sure, Bella."

"You're the best." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Who's the best?" Jasper asked, coming back with the last two bags. They weighted a ton, and he wondered how on earth she managed to even get them from the store to the car.

"My two boys, of course," Bella replied, giving him the same angelic smile as she'd given Edward.

Jasper's heart melted just as quickly as Edward's had. "That smile of yours is dangerous," he muttered.

Giving him a short kiss on his lips. "You like a little danger in your girl. Now, can you get those two upstairs? I think they are heavier than I am."

Shaking his head, Jasper proceeded to take the bags up the stairs. He met Edward halfway and handed him one of them. "I swear, if they ever make shopping a national sport and include fabrics, Bella will win every single time," he grumbled.

Edward grunted, following him. "I didn't know she enjoyed shopping that much." He frowned. "Actually, I remember she hated shopping."

Reaching her room, Jasper let the bag fall to the floor and slid it to an empty spot. "She still does when it comes to anything that has to do with her personally."

Pausing to catch his breath, Edward looked at Jasper curiously. "But not if it has anything to do with textile?"

"Or when she decides that I need new clothes." Jasper laughed, remembering the time Bella found several pairs of his boxers that had holes in them. "Then she's at the shops faster than you can tell her that you really don't need another pair of socks."

Another flash of jealousy passed through Edward.

"Come on, let's see if she remembered to get us ice cream."

Nodding, Edward followed him down the stairs.

While the guys took her sewing supplies to her room, Bella organized the rest of her shopping. She moved the ice cream to the freezer, unpacked the perishables into the fridge, and replenished the pantry with the nuts and dried berries she bought. When she saw Jasper and Edward coming back down, she greeted them with a brilliant smile and two glasses of ice-cold lemonade. "My heroes!"

Edward rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling as he took the glass from her.

Jasper gave her a fancy bow before taking his own lemonade. "At your service, Princess."

"Thank you for taking those upstairs. I know they are really heavy. The poor guy at the shop had to make three trips to the car." Bella smiled sheepishly. "The ice cream is in the freezer, and these are for you." She pointed at the six bags on the table.

Jasper exchanged a glance with Edward. "Told you," he whispered.

"The one on the right is for you, Jasper. Call it an early Halloween present. I just couldn't help myself when I saw them," Bella continued, not hearing the exchange. "The ones on the left are for you, Edward. I know how annoying it is when you don't get your luggage, so I got you some of the bare necessities."

Touched, Edward pulled Bella in for a hug, inducing a surprised chuckle form her. Releasing her part way, he couldn't help but hold her just a moment longer. "You're the best, you know that?"

Bella smiled brightly. "Yeah, Jasper keeps telling me that."

Leaning over Edward's arms, Jasper planted a kiss on her lips. "Don't worry, I also tell her she's a horrible singer just to make sure she doesn't get a huge ego."

"Like yours, you mean?" Bella teased. "Come on, open your present, I want to know if you like it"

Obliging her, Jasper opened his bag and pulled out a pair of black cowboy boots, whistling. "Where on earth did you find these? They're beautiful."

"You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy," Bella stage-whispered to Edward.

He laughed. Bella was right. He could see Jasper wearing the boots. Looking into the bags she deemed for him, he found a set of boxer-briefs, several t-shirts, a light-blue dress shirt, a pair of black pants that looked like dress pants, two pairs of jeans, and a set of white socks. He was almost surprised that he didn't find a winter coat and mittens. "Damn, Bells. You call these _bare_ necessities?" he asked. "A guy can live for six months on these."

Bella huffed. "Not if he wants to get a female to come within five feet of him. You didn't look on the last one. I hope I got the sizes right, but if there's anything that doesn't fit, we can exchange that."

He already knew she got the sizes right from looking at the labels, so he had not doubt he wouldn't need to exchange anything. Taking the last bag she handed him, he saw a shoebox inside. The number written on the box was half a size larger than what he usually wore. Opening it, he saw a pair of black leather half-boots. They were exactly the style he favored, and he couldn't help but wonder how Bella had guessed.

"I know these are a bit larger than your sneakers," Bella said, "but the guy at the store told me these are European, so they tend to be on the small side."

"Bella," Edward started then sighed. He brushed his hand through his hair, a nervous habit. "These had to be expensive. You have to let me pay you back."

Bella frowned at him. "Didn't anyone tell you it's not nice to refuse a gift?"

Looking at her raised brow, he wondered if she was just teasing him.

Jasper decided to come to Edward's rescue. He put a hand over his shoulder. "Say thank you, Edward, and don't insult the lady."

Edward glanced at Jasper, seeing the warning in his eyes, and sighed again. "Thank you, Bella. That's extremely thoughtful and generous of you."

"You're welcome, Edward." She brightened. "So, how did you spend your afternoon while I was robbing some shops?"

Chuckling, Jasper replied, "We got the first few lines of code written for Edward's first game."

"Really?" Her eyes widened in delight. "That's wonderful! I hope I get to see the first version when it's ready." She turned her pleading eyes at Edward.

He raised his hands in surrender. That look was definitely dangerous. "Of course you will. No need to give me those puppy eyes of yours. Damn, they're lethal!" he said to Jasper.

"She might be tiny, but she packs a punch," Jasper agreed. "You know what, Bella. I think you've earned yourself a foot massage. How about you make yourself comfortable on the couch, and I get the lotion?"

Bella's cry of delight made both men smile. "I'm a sucker for his massages," she said to Edward. "I'll pick something to watch on Netflix while you put everything away."

o.O.o

Bella's choice of _Nailed It!_ was an instant hit with Edward and Jasper. She'd heard about the show from a friend, but she had no idea how funny it was.

"Jay, from now on, you're my Wes!" she announced, giggling.

Shaking his head, Jasper took a drink from the soda can on the coffee table. "Should I start calling you Nicole, then?"

Edward shook his head, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. He was sitting next to Bella's head while Jasper held her feet in his lap. "I have to say that I could never be a judge on that show. Can you imagine having to _taste_ those…those…things?"

Bella burst into a fit of giggles, nearly falling off the sofa. "Nope. Never in a million year."

"Hush you two, the next episode is starting," Jasper said, giving Bella's toes a tickle. He loved hearing her laugh. Glancing at Edward, he saw him smiling down at Bella with a gentle look on his face. Jasper knew that look. He saw it often enough in the mirror. He wondered how things would work out for them. Something inside him was certain that Edward would continue to be a part of their lives, and not only because they already agreed to work on his game together.

"Hey, guys," Bella said a little while later as the credits to yet another episode were rolling on the screen. "I'm hungry. What about you?"

"Starving!" Jasper announced.

Edward nodded. "I could eat."

"Jay," she turned to him. "Could you make us some sandwiches? The bread from this morning is on the counter, in the bread box."

"Sure thing, honey." He gently lifted her feet from his lap and rose to stand. "Edward, is there anything you won't eat?"

"Mushrooms," Edward and Bella said together and chuckled. "You can put his portion in mine," Bella added.

"No mushroom, extra mushroom, got it."

While Jasper made himself busy in the kitchen, Edward looked down at Bella. He'd been threading his fingers through her long hair, enjoying the silky feeling of the tresses as they caressed his hand. She was slightly flushed with laughter, her eyes bright, and her lips curved in a hint of a smile. He didn't think he had ever seen her more beautiful than she was now. His eyes kept straying to her lips, darkening when she stuck her tongue out to lick them. Despite everything Jasper had said, despite what he knew, Edward desperately wanted to kiss Bella. He touched her bottom lip with his thumb, slowly tracing the contour.

"I know that you and Jasper are a couple," he whispered. "I don't want to come between you, but if you keep looking at me like that, I am going to kiss you and damn the consequences."

Bella continued to watch him for several more seconds. "We're not exactly the classic definition of a couple," she said softly, wondering how she could explain something to Edward that Jasper and she never truly discussed themselves. They had never placed a label on their connection, never felt that they needed one. She raised one hand and placed it on Edward's nape, caressing the soft hairs at the base of his neck. "Jasper, honey?"

"Yes, Bella?" he asked form the kitchen.

"Are you going to punch Edward if I kiss him?"

Jasper froze, knife poised over the bread. He lowered his hand, placing the knife on the counter, and crossed over to lean over the sofa to look at the two. He could almost feel the heat of the fire that was burning between them. Surprisingly, he felt no jealousy rise in him. There was certainly something that came up, but that was definitely a positive, not a negative.

"No, but I would consider sulking at the two of you if I can't watch," he replied. His lips curved into a cheeky smile he knew Bella would recognize as sexual invitation. They had never shared lovers between them, but that was mostly because Jasper never thought any of his past encounters were worthy of his Bella. He wasn't certain of Bella's reasons, but she never brought the subject up before, either.

Edward's head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock and surprise at Jasper's words.

"If it looks good enough, I might be tempted to ask for one myself," Jasper continued to tease, testing the waters.

Bella moaned, and they both looked down at her. "I think seeing you two share a kiss just might be the hottest thing ever." She bit her lip, imagining just that.

Edward groaned at the sight and muttered, "The hell with it," before leaning and taking her mouth in an upside-down kiss. Her taste exploded on his tongue. Sweet, savory, salty, he wasn't sure how to define her flavor, but he was a parched man, and she was a clear, cool fountain in the middle of the desert.

He swallowed Bella's moans as she answered his kiss eagerly, but he also heard the masculine groan from above him. It just spurred him on, and Edward found himself almost devouring her mouth. When Bella's caressing hands on his nape were joined by a pair of lips that were definitely not hers, Edward felt a shiver run down his spine.

"She loves it when you gently bite her lower lip," Jasper whispered into his ear just before taking the lobe into his mouth.

Edward couldn't hold back his moan. He'd never considered he would enjoy the touch of another male on his skin, not like that, but something about Jasper—something about Bella _and_ Jasper—was different. He bit down on Bella's bottom lip and earned himself another moan from her. She was responding to him so eagerly, so openly. He hadn't been prepared for it.

Breaking the kiss to catch his breath, Edward felt his lips curve in an involuntary smile at the dazed expression Bella wore. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, enjoying the softness of her skin. Bella closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.

Jasper was still caressing Edward's nape, feeling carefully optimistic. Pressing one last soft kiss to Edward's nape, he straightened. "I do believe I was making us sandwiched before I was so rudely interrupted."

Bella chuckled. "You enjoyed it."

"You bet," Jasper called behind his back as he walked back into the kitchen.

Edward was shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you two?" he asked rhetorically.

"I can think of a few things," Bella said with a smirk as she sat up. "But we're going to need some booze for that."

"I think we got a bottle or two laying around," Jasper answered her from the kitchen.

Edward looked from Bella to Jasper, feeling slightly dazed and unbalanced. Did he really just make out with the two of them at the same time?

"Just roll with it, Edward," Bella said quietly, noticing the confused and baffled expression on his face. "Jasper and I…we're pretty unique."

Edward nodded. That was definitely something he couldn't deny.

When the sandwiches were ready, Bella took hers and went up the stairs, claiming she wanted to get some work done. What she really wanted to do was give herself some time to think about everything that had happened, as well as to give Edward and Jasper time to do the same.

She had never been so confused about her own emotions. Even as a teenager, when she fell for Edward, it was a quiet, slow process. Now, she felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. But in a good way.

She let out a chuckle. "How can a punch to the stomach be a good thing, Bella?" she asked herself aloud.

Sitting on her bed, she briefly wondered when the last time she'd slept there was. A week ago? More?

_Damn you, Edward. Why did you have to come and make things so complicated?_

Before, she didn't think about what she and Japer were to each other. They just were…them. They laughed, they loved, they argued—mostly over whose turn it was to do the dishes or laundry, or which actor was hotter—but they never stopped to think about _what_ they were.

Laying back on her bed, she stared at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh. When was the last time Jasper went on a date with someone? At least two months, and she knew—despite what he was trying to embellish—that there was no heat there. She hadn't dated anyone for over a year. Again, no heat. Besides, she had everything she needed with Jasper, so why would she look elsewhere?

And then came Edward.

She was more than a little attracted to him. The wetness between her thighs was more than enough evidence to tell her that Edward could stir her just as much as Jasper did. And yes, the image of the two of them kissing had definitely caused her belly to tighten in anticipation. She was certain that there was interest on Jasper's part. As for Edward…

She wondered if she was seeing what she wanted to see or if she truly saw interest in his eyes, too.

_Lying here thinking about it like a moody teenager is not helping._

She needed to work some energy out, and there were only two ways to do it. Well, there was a third, but she hated running with a passion, so that was out. And while the idea of dragging Jasper up for a good tumble in bed was good in theory, it wouldn't solve her problems. That left her craft.

So that was what she did. For the next few hours, Bella immersed herself into a world of fairies and dragonflies and all kinds of other flying creatures that could inspire her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you're unfamiliar with Netflix's Nailed it, I highly recommend you watch it. It's hilarious.
> 
> Next chapter of Sewing Beauty will be here next Saturday (May 30th), until then, I hope you have a wonderful week!
> 
> Alley Cat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.  
> Thank you to LeeorV for giving this chapter a good polish. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.

**Chapter Four**

“You know, I think you should ask Bella to do some sketching for you,” Jasper said from his seat across Edward at the dining table. They had moved there with their laptops shortly after Bella went upstairs, and they’d been working on Edward’s game ever since. “I think she could give you some ideas for the sprites.”

“I didn’t know Bella did animation.” Edward was surprised. He knew that she designed clothes—he’d seen several pieces when he peeked into her room and when he brought up her online shop page—but he didn’t know she worked with other media.

“She doesn’t, really, but she’s got the talent,” Jasper said. “Here, let me see if I can find any of her sketches.” He stood up and rummaged around the different drawers behind him. Bella always kept a pad or two lying around for when she was inspired and didn’t feel like going upstairs to her room to flush it out. “Oh, here’s one.”

Edward took the proffered pad and opened it to look at the sketches. They were good. Heck, they were great!

“I know these aren’t like anything we need in the game, but you can see that our girl has talent,” Jasper said, watching as Edward flipped through the pages.

 _Our girl._ There was something very nice about that phrase, Edward thought. His mind wandered—again—to that kiss on the couch, and Bella’s words before it. He kept his eyes firmly on the sketch pad, but he wasn’t seeing the images on the paper but one of himself in a passionate kiss with a certain blond while Bella watched them, biting her lip like she did before he kissed her. _Fuck, what a time for me to discover I’m attracted to men._ Then, he immediately corrected himself. _No, not men. A man. Singular._

Raising his eyes from the pad, he found Jasper watching him carefully. He couldn’t really read what the other man was thinking, but he found himself mesmerized by his bright blue eyes. Snapping himself out of his stupor, he cleared his throat. “Yes, Bella is very talented.”

Jasper hid a smile as he took the pad from Edward’s hands. “Okay, so we’ll use the placeholders for now, and when she has time, I’ll ask her if she can come up with some ideas.” He sat back down next to his laptop. “You know people are going to have a problem with the theme here, right?”

Edward brushed a hand through his hair. “Yeah, but controversy brings attention, and I don’t care what they write about me as long as they spell my name right, or so the saying goes.”

“That’s the spirit.” Jasper nodded. The conversation went back to revolving around the game’s development, discussing different approaches to problems they’d come across. They were making good progress and had gotten quite engrossed, so they didn’t hear it when Bella eventually emerged, looking frazzled and frustrated.

Bella was fuming, but she couldn’t blame anyone else but herself. She’d tried to bury herself in her work, but after the first few hours, all that kept coming up to her mind were these two, innocent looking males, who had no idea of the havoc they’d wrought in her life.

Jasper was the first to notice Bella standing behind Edward and wearing what could only be describe as a glare on her face. He raised a brow in question, wondering what had happened to spark her ire.

When her shoulders sagged, and he saw the trembling of her bottom lip, he nearly jumped from his seat. “Be right back, Edward,” he called to the other man, who was so preoccupied, he barely gave him a nod in acknowledgement.

Jasper was beside Bella in the next few strides, pulling her into his arms and up the stairs. As soon as they were up on the second-floor landing—far enough that Edward wouldn’t easily overhear them should he tear his attention away from his programming—Bella crumbled in a sobbing mess.

“Aw, baby, what’s wrong, honey?” he murmured, rocking her gently and kissing her head. “Why are you crying, darling?”

“I’m a mess, Jasper,” Bella sobbed. She hated that she was reacting so badly. She hated crying. “My emotions are all over the place, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Yeah, sounds familiar,” he said quietly. Pushing the strands of hair behind her ears, he cupped her face between his large palms. “Want to tell me about it?”

“I don’t know.” Her bottom lip trembled again, and another tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Jasper felt the first crack of his heart. Was Bella about to tell him what he feared she was? “But you’re hurting yourself.” He used his thumbs to brush off the next flood of tears. “Please, honey, tell me what is wrong so I can make it better.”

She was shaking her head before he even finished speaking. “I don’t know if you can.” Bella raised her eyes to meet his. “I’m in love with you, Jasper,” she blurted.

His forehead creasing in confusion, Jasper said, “I know, Bella, I love you too.”

She shook her head again. “You don’t understand. I’m _in love_ with you.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what he felt, but his stomach did a somersault inside his belly. “Bella,” he waited until she met his eyes again. “I _love_ you,” he repeated slowly. “I fell in love with you that first day when I nearly knocked you on your lovely ass.” He chuckled as he saw a brilliant smile form on her lips. “Is that why you’re crying, love? You didn’t think I felt the same?”

She nodded, feeling silly. “I never admitted it to myself before today. I guess I was afraid to open my heart again after Edward. It was easier to tell myself that I didn’t really mean anything when I said those words to you and when you said them back to me. But I meant them. I mean them now. Jasper… I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and…”

Jasper didn’t think his heart could take more, but he asked, “And?”

“And I think that I feel the same about Edward.” Bella was biting her lip again, fresh tears forming on her eyelids. “And I don’t know how you feel about it, how he feels about it. I’m too afraid to ask because I don’t know what the answer will be.”

Kissing the corners of her eyes, Jasper tasted her tears as he trailed down to her mouth and took it in a deep, passionate, loving kiss. He had no idea he needed to hear those words from her until she’d said them.

 _I want to spend the rest of my life with you_.

His heart sang as he drank from her mouth, savoring every little moan, every cry, every sound she made in the back of her throat. He teased her bottom lip with his teeth and sucked on her tongue, smiling against her lips when she buried her fingers in his hair and pressed him harder against her. His whole body stirred in response to her, and there was nothing more he wanted right at that moment than to take her to bed. They still had a few more things to say, though, so he slowly ended their kiss, very reluctantly putting some space between them.

“I don’t know how Edward feels, and I think that—with everything that we’ve been through today—he might not be too sure, either, but I can tell you how I feel,” he said quietly.

Bella looked up at him, expectedly.

“I like him,” Jasper said. “He has a brilliant mind, his sense of humor isn’t too shabby, either, and watching you two make out made me hard as a rock.” As if to emphasize his words, his hips slightly rocked toward her, making her feel his current aroused state. “Give it time, love. He is probably struggling as well. It’s not easy for a man to realize he might be attracted to another man, believe me.”

She was able to smile at that. Jasper _would_ know all about that.

“Now, let’s go wash your face and change my shirt, and then we can go downstairs and see about dinner. I think we have a medicinal need for some alcohol tonight.”

Bella leaned her head on his shoulder. It was a strong, wide shoulder, and she knew it would always be there for her.

“And just in case it wasn’t clear, Bella,” Jasper cupped her face again and looked deeply into her eyes, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too.”

That earned him another kiss, which delayed them further, but eventually they parted, and Jasper sent her to the bathroom to wash her face and compose herself. Bella felt lighter inside. It wasn’t exactly that she doubted how Jasper felt about her, but it was reassuring to hear him spell it out for her. Now, if only she could resolve the Edward issue as easily…

o.O.o

Edward nodded absentmindedly when Jasper mumbled something, but it was only a moment later, when he sensed movement beside him, that he realized something was wrong. By the time he lifted his eyes from the screen, he only saw a glimpse of Jasper’s body disappearing around the corner.

Untangling himself from the cables next to his chair, Edward followed Jasper only to find the living room empty. Since he didn’t hear the front door open, he turned to the stairs. He had just placed his foot on the second step when he heard Bella’s sobbing. He began to climb the rest of the steps when something held him back. It wasn’t really his place to offer comfort. She had Jasper.

Frozen like a statue halfway between the two floors, Edward wondered what he should do when their conversation finally registered in his mind.

 _“I’m in love with you, Jasper,”_ Bella said, and he heard the sob in her voice as the words tore through his heart.

“ _I know, Bella, I love you too._ ”

“ _You don’t understand. I’m_ in love _with you._ ” The utter conviction in Bella’s voice was so painful, Edward suddenly found his lungs empty of air and unable to inflate.

“ _Bella, I love you_ ,” Jasper replied softly. “ _I fell in love with you that first day when I nearly knocked you on your lovely ass_.”

Edward cursed himself for just standing there and listening, feeling his heart break into a thousand pieces, but his feet were made of lead and wouldn’t move.

“ _I never admitted it to myself before today,_ ” he heard Bella say _. “I guess I was afraid to open my heart again after Edward. It was easier to tell myself that I didn’t really mean anything when I said those words to you and when you said them back to me. But I meant them. I mean them now. Jasper… I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and…_ ”

Edward didn’t breathe as he waited for her to continue, not knowing what he was hoping to hear.

_“And I think that I feel the same about Edward.”_

His broken heart suddenly leaped in his chest. She felt the same about him? What?

Unable to believe his ears, Edward shook his head, as if to dislodge anything that might be obscuring his hearing.

 _“I like him,”_ he heard Jasper say. _“He has a brilliant mind, his sense of humor isn’t too shabby, either, and watching you two make out made me hard as a rock.”_

That threw Edward for another loop. He was still elated at Bella’s words, but he definitely did _not_ know what to make of Jasper’s.

 _“Give it time, love,”_ Jasper continued. _“He is probably struggling as well. It’s not easy for a man to realize he might be attracted to another man, believe me.”_

Edward leaned his head against the wall of the staircase. Yes, Jasper was right. It was definitely not easy. Deciding he’d intruded enough, he stepped back down and returned to his seat in the dining room. Burying his fingers in his hair, he leaned his elbows on the wooden surface of the table and closed his eyes. How had his life change so much in such a short amount of time?

A minute or an hour later—he really couldn’t tell—a strong hand came to rest on his hunched shoulders, which Edward knew could only belong to Jasper.

“I think you and I should talk while Bella isn’t here,” Jasper said quietly, coming to crouch next to Edward’s chair.

When Edward turned his head to look at Jasper, the latter saw such a storm of emotion in his eyes that Jasper’s heart clenched inside him. He wanted to comfort Edward, but he wasn’t sure if Edward was ready to accept that from him.

“Actually, I think maybe I should tell you a story, and you’ll just listen, okay?”

Edward nodded. He wasn’t sure he could string words into a coherent sentence right at that moment.

Jasper grabbed the chair from the side of the table and placed it next to Edward. Placing his elbows on his thighs as he steepled his fingers between his spread legs, he began, “I was seventeen when I first kissed a guy. I thought that the ground will open its mouth and the devil will pull me down to hell. He was older, a college student I met at a party, and I was honestly more than a little drunk, but after that kiss, something inside me changed. I was terrified, excited, and more than anything, I was confused. I grew up in Texas, in a very traditional, southern family. I loved my parents, but my father was very strict and religious. I don’t need to tell you what the bible says about gay men.”

Edward shook his head. He was familiar enough with the gist of things.

“So you can see how a young Texan boy from a good family would have am identity crisis when he discovered that he was…wrong, sinful, headed straight to hell.”

Edward saw pain in the other man’s eyes, and his heart clenched. He hated that Jasper suffered for something Edward truly believed no one had control over.

“I tried hiding what I felt. I refused to acknowledge that part of me,” Jasper continued. “I thought that I was just rebelling because I’d lost my parents not too long before that, and if I could just find the right girl, I could be _healed_. Which, I can tell you now, is utter bullshit. No one can change who you are on the inside, not even you. You can sand off some of the edges, reshape some parts, but your core, the thing that makes you who you are on the inside—you can’t change that.”

Edward nodded slowly, agreeing with Jasper so far.

“That’s why, when something as basic as your sexual identity comes into question, you feel like suddenly the ground is no longer solid underneath your feet. I know I felt like that for a long while.” Jasper looked down. He knew that the only way to make Edward understand was to bare his own soul to him, but that was easier said than done. “The first time I had sex with a man, I felt both free and caged. It felt good, to touch a male body, which is so wonderfully different than the female form, but I also felt disgusted with myself. How could I enjoy the touch of a man? It was morally wrong, wasn’t it?” Jasper could read those same questions running through Edward’s mind and knew that no matter how hard it was for him, it had to be said. “For years, I walked around carrying that self-loathing with me everywhere I went, into every relationship I had.”

“What changed?” Edward asked in a whisper.

Jasper’s lips curved upward in a soft smile. “Bella. She was like a breath of fresh air. At first, I hid that part of myself from her as well. I didn’t dare to mention if I went out to a gay bar or if my date was male, though there weren’t that many of those. Then, one night, she got me stinking drunk, and I just blurted it to her.” He chuckled as he recalled that evening so long ago. “I just blurted it. I’m bisexual.”

“What did she say?”

“I said, ‘I bet you could teach me how to give one hell of a blowjob,’ or something along those lines,” Bella said from behind them.

Edward’s eyes widened, and he let out a bark of laughter. “Really?”

Jasper nodded. “I nearly fell off my seat when I heard that, but she just brushed it off. It didn’t bother her.”

Bella came to stand between them, placing one hand on each man’s shoulder. “Why would it? As I said to Jasper before, I don’t care if you’re turned on by a man or a woman. It doesn’t change the way I feel about a person. Though I might draw the line when it comes to cats and other animals.” She made a face. “That’s just disgusting.”

Edward just stared at her in shock while Jasper couldn’t hold back his laugher.

Pulling her in to sit on his lap, Jasper wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. He turned back to Edward. “What I’m trying to say is, what I think we’re _both_ trying to say is, we care about you, Edward. I think I’ve enjoyed this last day spent with you more than I have many other weekends. It’s different than spending the day just with Bella.”

Bella pouted for good measure.

“You know I love you, so hush,” he told her, kissing the side of her mouth. “I like spending time with you, Edward, and I think you’ve realized by now that I’m attracted to you as well. I would very much like to see where this might lead, and if all it leads to is friendship, then that is perfectly fine. It’s in your hands.”

Leaning her head on Jasper’s shoulder, Bella looked at Edward. “I’ll tell you what I told Jasper earlier. I love you, Edward. As in, I’m _in love_ with you, and I know that you have feelings for me. Like Jasper, I would very much like to see where this goes…whatever this thing that’s between us could be because I think it could be wonderful. It’s up to you, though, to decide how much or how little of it you’d like to have. No pressure.”

Edward looked from one face to another and felt his mind swirl. He didn’t know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. There was the choking panic that grabbed his throat. Then, there was the sense of elation—Bella loved him!

Looking into Jasper’s eyes, he could see the attraction—could feel it himself, if he wasn’t too much of a coward to admit that to himself. “I honestly don’t know what I’m thinking right now,” he said slowly. “I… My life has just turned upside down and inside out, and I feel like I don’t even know who I am.”

Jasper nodded. “I know that feeling. Just remember that you can be whatever you want here. No judgement, no expectations.”

Edward wondered if it could really be that easy. Thinking back to the relationship between Jasper and Bella he’d witnessed so far, he realized that yes, it could be that easy. “Jasper…” He couldn’t believe he was truly going to say the words that were forming in his thoughts, but if he wanted answers to at least some of his questions, he needed to do this. “Will you kiss me?”

Slowly, as if approaching a skittish kitten, Jasper cupped Edward’s cheek in one hand, brushing a thumb against his full bottom lip. Watching the slight darkening of Edward’s eyes, Jasper also noted the increase in his breathing. Leaning forward, he gradually closed the distance between them until he was just a breath away. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head slightly to one side and pressed his lips to Edward’s.

It was like experiencing his first kiss all over again, Edward thought, and in a way, it was. As Jasper gave him several butterfly kisses over his closed lips, Edward tried to register everything he was feeling and thinking, but when Jasper parted his lips and pulled Edward’s top lip into his mouth, sucking on it, Edward’s train of thought was utterly shattered. He simply gave in to the kiss, opening his mouth to taste Jasper’s tongue, suck on it as he would—as he had—on Bella’s. He moaned when Jasper returned the favor and added a nibble. The soft growl from Jasper heated his own blood.

Edward was panting by the time Jasper pulled back, ending the kiss. His chest moved up and down as he tried to gulp down enough air to fill his lungs. “Well, that answers one question,” he murmured.

“More than one,” Bella said huskily. “Watching you two is more than scorching hot.”

Glancing at her, Edward saw that her face was flushed, her eyes sparkled, and she was biting her bottom lip almost as if she was trying to hold back a moan of her own.

Jasper desperately tried to clear his thoughts and calm his body. He hadn’t expected the kiss to affect him as much as it had. He was rock hard, and Bella’s squirming was really not helping the situation. “I…” His voice cracked. He swallowed and tried again. “I think I might need a cold shower right about now.”

Edward couldn’t help glancing at Jasper’s crotch.

“Yeah, that stirred me way more than I thought it would,” Jasper said sheepishly, noticing where Edward’s attention went. “You’re one hell of a kisser, Edward.”

“I could have told you that myself.” Bella giggled when they just continued to stare at each other. “I don’t think a cold shower is going to be enough if you two keep looking at each other like that.”

Edward couldn’t believe that she made him blush, but the tell-tale heat easing up his cheeks told him that Bella had indeed done just that.

Jasper didn’t think as he leaned over to place a soft—and, this time, short—kiss on Edward’s lips. It felt natural. “I think it’s adorable,” he murmured for Edward’s ears only before pulling back. “So, how about pizza for dinner?” he asked in a louder voice.

“Sounds good,” Edward agreed, grateful for the change of subject. “Know any good places?”

“Yes,” Bella said. “It’s called Bella’s homemade.” She hopped off Jasper’s lap and walked out of the room muttering, “I can use the kneading to work off the steam you two created.”

“My brain probably hasn’t engaged yet,” Edward mumbled, “but did she mean that the pizza place is called Bella’s Homemade or that she is going to make homemade pizza?”

“The latter,” Jasper confirmed, moving to sit back in his original seat while taking a few deep breaths.

“You know, if she keeps feeding us like that, I’m going to have to find a gym and fast,” Edward said.

Jasper chuckled. “There’s one a couple of blocks away from here. We’ll get you a membership.”

o.O.o

Bella tried really hard to distract herself from fantasizing about Jasper and Edward, but her mind just wouldn’t listen. While she kneaded the dough, prepared the toppings, and cooked the tomato sauce, she kept imagining them in different combinations and situations.

_Edward on his back in the middle of the large bed in the master suite with her sprawled between his parted thighs while Jasper was thrusting into her from behind and guiding her how to best pleasure Edward with her mouth and hands._

Leaning her forehead against the upper cabinets, Bella let out a sigh. _This is SO not helping._

Her inner horndog just didn’t seem to care as it switched to yet another scene, one where the guys were alone in the bathtub. Edward was on top of Jasper, their mouths locked in a passionate kiss, bubbles hiding most of their bodies, but the soft rocking of Edward’s wide shoulders hinted at more.

Bella couldn’t stifle the moan that came to her lips, so she just hoped that it didn’t carry over to the dining room. A quick check on the sauce told her that it was done, which left her with about another hour to let the dough finish proofing.

“Fuck it,” she muttered, throwing the towel she’d used to wipe her hands on the counter. Turning around, she nearly marched toward the stairs.

In the dining room, Jasper noticed Bella walking past them, looking…flushed, he decided. Scratching the back of his head, he wondered if he should follow her or give her space.

“What’s wrong?” Edward asked.

Jasper shrugged. “I don’t know that there is anything wrong.” Considering Bella’s facial expression again, he wondered if she was being plagued by the same problem he was. He could almost swear he could still taste Edward on his lips, and he knew for certain that any code he’d written in the past thirty minutes was one big pile of bug-infested spaghetti. His body wouldn’t obey his command to calm the fuck down, and his mind seemed to enjoy tormenting him with fantasies that involved Edward, Bella, and himself in various states of dress.

_Bella bent over, leaning on her forearms on one of the kitchen island’s stools. Her shorts around her ankles as Jasper pounded in and out of her from behind. His hand wrapped around her long hair, pulling her slightly so that she arched her back and presented him with her beautiful neck to leave love bites on. Edward coming up behind him, caressing his back as he prepared him with the gel. Then, Edward sliding inside him, and all three of them finding a single rhythm._

Edward watched Jasper’s eyes growing unfocused as he continued to stare at the air between the dining room and living room. A few moments later, Jasper closed his eyes and cursed under his breath.

“I’m going upstairs,” he croaked. Swallowing in an attempt to steady his voice, Jasper repeated, “I’m going upstairs to take a shower.” _A cold one,_ he mentally added. “I think we can call it a night. We can leave the laptops here and come back to them tomorrow.” As he spoke, he saved whatever crap he’d written and clicked the power off button.

Edward watched the other man’s slightly stiff movements and wondered what was going on. As Jasper walked out, he noticed there was more color on his cheeks than usual, and for a moment, Edward wondered if Jasper was coming down with something.

Then, another thought occurred to him. _Could they be…? No, they wouldn’t…would they?_

Shutting down his own laptop without bothering to save—he’d made zero progress in the past hour anyway, so there was nothing _to_ save—Edward followed Jasper up the stairs. The doors to the master suite and to Bella’s room were both closed when he reached the landing. Shaking his head and calling himself ten kinds of a fool, he crossed over to the guestroom. Sitting on the bed, he buried his head in his hands—much like he’d done earlier before Jasper approached him—and let out a long sigh.

Bella’s and Jasper’s words from before came to his mind again, not that they were too far away from his thoughts for the past hour. They weren’t asking anything of him. They’d opened their house to him, and it seemed as though they were also opening their hearts to him. He loved Bella, there was no question about that. That part was easy. He could also see just how easy it was for her to love Jasper. They guy practically screamed _loveable._

Suddenly, an image of Jasper in a pink shirt with the words LOVE ME, I AM LOVEABLE written in glitter across his chest showed up in his mind, making him chuckle.

If Jasper had been a female, it would have been so easy to fall for him. But Jasper was a man.

 _A man who could kiss me into an instant hard-on,_ Edward reminded himself. The attraction was there. He couldn’t deny that, not after that kiss. At the same time, if Bella was standing before him right then, he would have grabbed her by her waist, thrown her on the bed, and worked up a good sweat as he satisfied his hunger with her.

Thinking back to his teenage years, Edward wondered if there were seeds there. He hadn’t dated anyone before Bella. He hadn’t felt attracted to anyone, male or female. With Bella, it was a gradual falling. Almost as if he was unraveling layer after layer of his feelings until the final one was love.

After Bella…

Edward sighed. He’d closed himself off for so long that he knew his parents worried about him. It passed, and he dated other women, felt attracted to them. Never in his life did he feel an attraction to a man. He’d respected several men, even admired some, but attraction? No, it just wasn’t there.

A soft knock on his door drew his attention. When he looked up, he found Bella leaning against the doorway. Her hair was still wet from the shower she had apparently taken, and her skin was rosy pink. “Mind if I come in?” she asked softly.

He shook his head, not sure what he should say.

Bella crossed the threshold and kneeled before him, folding her hands in her lap. “A penny for your thoughts?”

Edward offered her half a smile. “I’m not sure they’re worth that much.”

She tilted her head to the side and looked into his green eyes. “You’re not sad.” It was a statement, not a question. It might have been years since they’d been a couple, but she thought she could still read him pretty well.

“I’m not sad,” he confirmed. “I’m…” He let out a sigh. “I think the best way to describe what I’m feeling right now would be torn…confused…amazed.” _Aroused,_ he added silently. Not only was he still semi hard because of Jasper’s kiss, but Bella’s kneeling before him had new images springing into his mind that were not helping the situation.

Bella hesitantly placed one hand on his knee. “I’m a good listener, and I don’t judge.”

“I know.” Edward covered her hand with his, caressing the thin fingers. “I was just thinking that if Jasper were a Mandy it would have been a hell of a lot easier.”

Bella smiled. “Let me ask you something. If it was Candy and Mandy who fell in love with you, would you be able to love both of them at the same time?”

Rolling his eyes at her choice of names, Edward had to admit, “Yes.”

“Are you worried about the physical side of things?” she asked. “With Jasper having the same parts as you rather than as me.”

Edward let out a sigh. “I haven’t even thought that far, honestly.” But now that the issue was raised, he couldn’t avoid imagining what it would be like.

Bella could see him thinking. “Are you worried because of what your parents or your brother might say if they learned you have a relationship with two people, one of them a man?”

“No,” the reply was instant and confident. Edward had never met two more accepting people than Carlisle and Esme Cullen. More than that, he’d seen the way they’d welcomed Vera—Emmett’s openly gay sister in-law—into the family. They’d all attended her wedding to her longtime partner, Paula, a few years ago. No, his parents wouldn’t have a problem with that as long as they knew he was happy.

“So what worries you so much that you sit alone in the dark, looking as if the weight of the entire world rests on your shoulders?” she asked softly.

He knew that she would just keep asking until he told her everything. She had always been like that. Stubborn as hell when something was important to her. “I’m not exactly worried. I’m wondering if these…feelings I have are new or if they’ve always been there, and I just didn’t notice them.” He shifted uncomfortably. “And… I don’t think I like the thought of myself as gay Edward.”

Bella giggled. “I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth as more giggles spilled. “I honestly don’t mean to laugh, but gay Edward…” She took a few deep breaths, trying to control her mirth. “Never mind. You’re still you, Edward. Nothing changed about that. Think of it as opening your heart to include one more person in it. You don’t have a to put a label on yourself, but if you really want to, how about ‘Bella’s property’?” she teased.

It had the desired effect of making him smile.

“Maybe you had those feelings in the past, maybe you didn’t.” She shrugged. “Why does it matter?”

Why _did_ it matter? Edward asked himself. Looking at the beautiful woman kneeling before him, asking him to simply open his heart, what did it matter if he had never been attracted to another man? He didn’t care for any other female until Bella. His parents wouldn’t care as long as he was happy. They loved Bella already, and they would learn to love Jasper. “It doesn’t,” he murmured. “Not really.”

“Good.” Holding her hand out to him, Bella waited until he took it and helped her stand. “Then there is nothing more for you to worry about. Well, except maybe worry about the airline being able to contact you when your luggage finally arrives from its world-round trip.”

Edward groaned. “Thanks for reminding me. I should call them first thing Monday morning.”

“You should. Seeing as tomorrow is Sunday, how about you leave all those worries aside and just enjoy the rest of the weekend?”

Unable to resist the urge, Edward pulled her into his arms. It felt good to hold her. “Sure, why not.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Thank you to LeeorV for giving this chapter a good polish. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.

**Chapter Five**

Jasper didn’t know what had transpired between Bella and Edward in the guestroom, but when he saw that they were both smiling when they had finally emerged, he relaxed. If he had to hazard a guess, he’d say Bella had just worked her magic on Edward, and the man couldn’t tell her no.

_I know the feeling._

In the next two hours, they’d worked together on the kitchen island to construct their individual pizzas, putting them in the oven, and then burning the tips of their fingers and tongues when they couldn’t wait to taste the final results as soon as they came out of the oven. They’d laughed, shared silly stories from their pasts, and relaxed after the previous emotional turmoil.

When Bella asked to hear about the game Edward and Jasper were working on, they embarked on a lengthy explanation of the main idea behind the game, the different levels they had planned, and what they needed in terms of graphics.

“So that’s about it,” Edward said, finishing his explanation. “Jasper said you might be able to help us with the design of the characters.”

Bella pondered that as she took a bite out of her pizza. “I’ve never worked with computer animation before, but I know my way around drawing a sprite.” Then, her eyes widened in delight.

“What?” Jasper asked.

“If I work with you, I’ll have an excuse to buy that new iPad that’s coming out later this year.” She nearly bounced in her seat in delight.

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s been dreaming about that thing and the silly pencil that comes with it since details about it leaked a few weeks ago.”

Edward smiled. “Help me design the characters, and I’ll get that iPad for you as a birthday present.”

Bella’s eyes widened in shock. “No way, Edward, I can’t agree. It’s too much.”

“Consider it a gift from both of us, then,” Jasper said, sending her a pleading look that he knew she couldn’t resist. “It’s going to be a lot of work. We got over twenty characters planned, not to mention backgrounds for the levels, items, and some animation you’re going to be learning. You’ll earn your iPad.”

“But my birthday is only three weeks away.” Bella bit her lips. “Here’s the deal. I’ll help you design the characters, the levels, the items, and anything else you need for your game, and if by the time the iPad is released you are happy with what I’ve created, you can each contribute one third of the price of the device, the pencil, and the super fancy case that should be released with it as well.”

Jasper looked at Edward. “Sounds good to me.”

Edward didn’t like that deal. He knew just how much work he would be asking Bella to do, and he knew that should he out-source the job, he would pay around twice the price of the device for it.

“You’re not going to get a better deal,” Bella insisted, reading Edward’s thoughts on his face. “And if you decide to buy it and present it as a done deal, I’ll have two thirds transferred to your account faster than I could finish unwrapping the box.”

Sighing, Edward knew he was beat on that one. “Fine, it’s a deal.” He would simply have to find another way to repay her.

“Good. We can start as soon as we’re finished with dinner and clean this area.”

“No,” Jasper objected. “I’ve had enough work for one day. I have another idea.”

Edward looked at Jasper’s grin and thought that there was something slightly wicked about it.

“What are you plotting in that evil mind of yours?” Bella asked, smiling around another bite of her pizza.

Jasper tried to look insulted. “My mind isn’t evil.”

“Even I can call that bluff,” Edward said, gesturing with his own slice at Jasper’s face. “That smile of yours gives you away.”

Jasper grinned. “First, we’re going to need some alcohol.” He brushed the crumbs off his fingers and stood up. “I will take care of that. Bella, can you get us some shot glasses, the smallest we have? We’re going to play a drinking game.”

“Why do I have the sudden feeling that I should be very afraid?” Edward whispered to Bella, watching as Jasper pulled out a glass bottle full of clear liquid.

Bella chuckled. “Probably because you should.” She shrugged and licked the remaining sauce off her fingers. She walked around the table and opened the door to one of the top cabinets. Taking out three shot glasses, she placed them on the table.

Edward noticed that they were smaller than regular shot glasses. It was good, he supposed. He had a feeling they were about to drink a large number of rounds.

Jasper placed the bottle of Vodka and an empty wine glass on the island surface and went to the penny jar they kept next to the front door. A moment later, he was back with seventeen coins in his hand. “Are you familiar with the ‘Never Have I Ever’ game, Edward?”

Edward nodded.

“Good.” Jasper placed five pennies next to each shot glass. “This is my twist on it. Instead of holding fingers and lowering them, we each take a shot every time we’ve done the stated deed. To keep track, we use these pennies. You drink, you push a penny to the middle of the table, your shot glass gets filled for the next round. With me so far?”

Edward and Bella nodded.

“Good. Now, in case we have a round in which no one drinks, we pour the current round of shots into this glass,” Jasper continued, touching the stem of the empty wine glass. “Since that doesn’t happen often, at the end of each game, everything that is left in our shots is added to the glass as well. We can play as many rounds as we want, and we keep track on who leads in the number of wins using these.” He showed them a dime and a quarter. “The quarter is given to the one with the most wins, the dime to the second best. Once we decide game over, the person holding the quarter gets a forfeit from any of the two losers, and the one holding the dime gets the same from the coin-less one. That forfeit can be anything you want.”

Bella giggled at Jasper’s expression. She had a feeling the evening was about to turn very interesting.

“Now, should you decide not to pay the forfeit, you have to finish whatever is in the wine glass. Should both players pay the forfeit, winners split the wine glass between them.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Edward said.

“I have one more rule,” Bella announced. “No statements that cannot physically be true. Meaning, You can’t say ‘Never have I ever been pregnant,’ since you two lovely men don’t have the equipment to get knocked up.”

The two men laughed. “Amendment accepted,” Jasper said.

“Good. Then I go first!” Bella announced.

“Wait, why do you get to go first?” Edward demanded. 

Jasper nodded. “Yes, Bella, why should we let you go first?”

“Because I said so.” She stuck her tongue out. “Never have I ever shaved my face. Drink up, boys.”

Laughing, Jasper poured the first shot for all three of them and tossed his own before refilling it again. The first two pennies went into the center of the table.

“In that case,” Edward said. “Never have I ever shaved my legs. Drink up, Bella.”

She took the shot and made a face as the Vodka burned as it went down her throat. Jasper filled her shot glass again and pushed one of her pennies into the center of the table. They were tied with four pennies each.

“Never have I ever slept anywhere other than inside a house,” Jasper said. “I do believe it’s another shot for you, Bella.”

Edward lifted his glass but didn’t drink. “Are you telling me you never slept on a plane, Jasper?”

“Nope,” Jasper said, refilling Bella’s shot. “I’ve only flown a couple of times in my life, and they all were short, internal flights.”

“Damn,” Edward muttered and drank. His penny joined Bella’s in the center of the table. They were both down to three.

Bella paused, thinking. “Okay, I’ve got one. Get ready to drink on this one, boys.” She smirked. “Never have I ever kissed a member of my own gender.”

Shaking his head, Edward raised his glass in a toast. “Thanks for that, Jasper,” he muttered.

Bella giggled when Jasper just smiled and drank. She filled up their glasses. She was now tied with Jasper. Edward was down to two pennies.

“My turn,” Edward announced. “Never have I ever picked up a stranger at a bar.”

No one drank at that.

“Damn, I thought I had you there, Jasper.”

“Not this time, Edward. Okay, first round into the glass,” Jasper announced, spilling the contents of his own into the wine glass. Bella and Edward followed, and he filled their glasses again. “Never have I ever danced a striptease.”

Edward’s eyes nearly popped out of his face when Bella lifted her glass and drank. “Okay, I have to hear the story behind that.”

Bella pushed a penny into the middle. She was tied with Edward on two. Jasper led with three. “Remember when Jasper told you that I got him drunk enough to spill his beans?”

Edward nodded.

“Well, not to be outdone, Jasper plied me with some really good chocolate liquor and convinced me to show him what I learned in my pole dancing classes.”

Jasper chuckled. Edward’s mouth fell open, and he was looking at Bella as though he’d never met her before. “That gym I told you about offered a pole sports dancing class.”

“There was no stripping in class,” Bella said, rolling her eyes at the gaping Edward. “Anyway, since I had no pole in the middle of the living room, and since Jasper is really good at pushing my buttons when I’m drunk, I decided to show him what I learned.”

Edward didn’t know if he was more shocked or more jealous at that moment. “Which song did you choose?”

“Buttons by the Pussycat Dolls,” Bella answered. “He calls me the Sewing Beauty, so—buttons. Plus, it’s got a great beat. I do believe it’s my turn.”

Jasper nodded.

Edward blinked a few times, trying to picture the sweet, innocent Bella he knew doing a striptease.

“Never have I ever come in my clothes,” Bella said, waiting to see what the two men would do.

“Damn, Bella, that’s dirty,” Jasper complained.

Edward just drank in silence and pushed one of his two remaining pennies into the center pile.

Bella picked the bottle up and filled Edward’s empty glass. “Drink up, Jay.” Taking one of Jasper’s three pennies, she put it in the center.

His glass full again, Jasper took note of the score. He and Bella had two. Edward was on his last one. “Never have I ever used a vibrator on myself.”

Bella folded her hands across her chest, pouting. Jasper was definitely playing dirty. “Fine,” she muttered and took her shot. Jasper filled her glass while Edward tried to hold back his laughter at Bella’s putout expression.

“Your turn, Bella,” Jasper said when she didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“Shh! I’m thinking,” she hissed, making Edward laugh out loud. She wanted something that would knock Jasper down a peg, but she didn’t want something he could use against her as, should Edward be eliminated, it would be his turn next. “Never have I ever been on the giving end of anal sex,” she said, smirking.

Edward stopped laughing and gaped at her. “Does that mean—?” he cut himself off.

Jasper drank his shot and pushed a penny to the center. “Does that mean what, Edward? Finish your question.” He took note that he was the only one drinking and filed it for future reference.

Edward shook his head, and Bella laughed. She had an idea of what he was about to ask, but she had no intention of volunteering information. “Yes, Edward, honey, what did you mean to ask?”

Edward smirked. They were all down to their last penny. It was elimination time, and he knew just the thing. “Never have I ever been on the receiving end of anal sex. There, two birds, one stone.”

Bella and Jasper burst out in laughter. Clinging their shot glasses together, they drank.

Edward transferred the contents of his glass to the wine glass in the middle. “I do believe that means I won that round.”

Jasper placed the quarter in front of Edward. “And with a double elimination, no less!”

Arranging the pennies so that each of them had five before them, Bella muttered, “Should have picked a better one.”

Jasper leaned across the table to give her a kiss on the lips. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of him.”

“Promise?” Bella batted her eyelashes at him, making Jasper laugh and Edward to utter, “I’m screwed.”

“Not yet, Edward.” Jasper winked at him. “Fill up the glasses while I come up with my next move.”

Edward did as he was ordered and refilled the three shot glasses.

“Never have I ever worn women’s lingerie,” Jasper said, ducking when Bella tried to slap him.

“Is that how you take care of me? Traitor!” she cried out.

Jasper tried to swallow his laughter, but his eyes were twinkling with mirth. “And the best part, Edward, is that she can’t retaliate because she always steals my boxers.”

Tossing the shot down her throat, Bella muttered, “Not my fault they’re more comfortable than any shorts made for women.”

“Just buy your own!” Jasper retorted.

Bella stuck her tongue at him. “Stealing yours is more fun anyway.”

Edward filled up her glass. “Your turn, Bella.”

“Yes, I know.” She huffed. “Never have I ever given anyone a blowjob,” she announced.

“The fuck?” Jasper asked, his mouth falling open in amazement. “No way, you’re bluffing!”

Edward just didn’t know what to believe anymore. She’d had anal sex but never gave anyone a blowjob? That girl was a full of contradictions!

“Still waiting for that lesson you promised me.” Bella smiled sweetly at Jasper, causing Edward to roar in laughter.

Jasper’s eyes were a pair of burning blue flames. He had no idea she was _that_ innocent. Recalling her drinking on the anal sex statement, he amended, _well, maybe not that innocent._ “I have to know, how on earth did you manage to have anal sex but never give a blowjob?”

Bella laughed. “Drink first.” She waited until his glass was empty and his penny joined hers in the center before answering. “Easy. Neither of you ever asked for one.”

Jasper frowned. He glanced at Edward, seeing the same frown on his face.

Bella filled up her own glass. “Edward, your turn.”

Edward really wanted to ask Bella just how many partners she had had but decided neither of them was drunk enough for him to do that and receive an answer that didn’t include a slap. “Never have I ever…” His mind was still busy with what Bella had just said, and he couldn’t come up with anything for a moment. “Never have I ever sunbathed topless,” he finally blurted.

“Nope, sorry, Edward,” Bella said.

Jasper just rolled his eyes and took his shot. “That one was stupid, Edward.” He pushed a penny into the center pile. He was down to three. Edward still had all five, and Bella was behind him with four. “Never have I ever taken anyone’s virginity,” he announced.

He wasn’t too surprised when Edward drank, he already knew he was Bella’s first, but he did raise a brow when Bella raised her glass as well. Two more pennies joined the piled in the middle leaving Bella tied with him at three pennies and Edward in the lead with four.

Catching her eye, he raised a brow in silent question.

Bella stared back at him as if to ask, _do you really need to ask?_ then glanced at Edward.

“That’s kind of sweet,” Jasper murmured.

Edward blushed, easily picking up on the unspoken conversation.

“Never have I ever been with more than one partner at the same time,” Bella said. She was expecting the round to go to the wine glass in the middle, but Jasper surprised her when he picked up his glass. “Now that’s a story I’d like to hear. Which was it?”

Jasper knew he was blushing and cursed. “One of each,” he said as Edward filled up his glass and removed a penny from his pile. “I was seventeen, and it was the first time I’d kissed a man. It wasn’t as good as you think, to be honest. She gave us each a blowjob and passed out before we could do more.”

Bella’s eyes sparkled as an idea formed in her mind. “You’re up, Edward.”

He nodded. “Never have I ever used anything edible during sex.”

Bella met Jasper’s eyes and began to giggle at his quick smile. She raised her glass to his, clinging the two, and they drank.

“And you never should,” Jasper said, pushing a penny forward. He was down to his last. Damn. “It’s sticky and messy, and so not worth the cleanup.”

Bella nodded in agreement. “The process of getting dirty was fun, but yeah, cleanup was a bitch.”

“I want to hear the rest of that story,” Edward said, looking between the two. He found that he didn’t feel even a trace of jealousy, only curiosity.

“Well, Bella made these awesome pancakes one Sunday morning, and you can’t have pancakes without maple syrup. It’s criminal,” Jasper said. “Anyway, it was a hot day, so she wore these tiny shorts and a crop top that barely covered anything, so after finishing the pancakes, I decided to have a second breakfast.”

“He poured maple all over me,” Bella picked up the story, still smiling as she recalled that day. “He has a magical mouth, let me tell you.”

Jasper smirked at the sigh she let out. His ego just got a nice boost. “Anyway, after I licked maple from most of her body and drove her crazy with said magical mouth,” he winked at her before looking at Edward again, “I took us to the floor to let her ride me like a pony, and she kept pouring maple on those beautiful breasts she has. When I finally tired her out, we ended up with maple in our hair, on our bodies, and all over the kitchen. Like Bella said, cleanup was a bitch.”

Bella licked her lips. “I think you gave me my first multiple that day, Jay. Still, it was _not_ worth the cleanup.” She shuddered. “I had to wash my hair three times before all the stickiness was out of it.”

“Play your cards right, baby, and you might have another multiple soon,” Jasper promised her in a husky voice. He glanced at Edward and decided to test the waters. “I’m sure Edward and I can top that day.”

Edward’s eyes snapped to meet Jasper’s as a slow burning began in his stomach. He knew it wasn’t the alcohol. They’d had a good meal, and the shot glasses were really on the small side. He glanced at Bella’s flushed face. “I think we definitely could,” he murmured, a new fantasy forming in his mind.

“All right. Let’s see if I can take Edward down a penny,” Jasper said. “Never have I ever visited Italy.”

Edward shrugged. He could afford a loss. Tossing he penny into the center pile, he drank the shot. “You’re going down, Jasper.”

“Oh, I know.” Jasper’s eyes sparked, making Edward catch onto the double meaning of his own words.

“Before you take Jasper out of the game, Edward, it’s my turn,” Bella said. “Never have I ever been accepted to a college outside the United States.”

Now Edward frowned. “Meanie!” he accused.

“All’s fair in love, war, and a game of Never Have I Ever,” she said nonchalantly. Edward was down to two pennies, same as her. Jasper had only one left.

“Oh, so that’s how it is?” Edward asked. “All right. Never have I ever graduated from a college in the States.”

Jasper let out a dramatic sigh and pretended to wipe his forehead. “I just dodged a bullet there, thanks.”

Bella drank her shot and chuckled. “Jasper didn’t graduate. He’s too lazy.” She pushed a penny forward. Edward was still in the lead with two pennies left. Jasper and Bella were on their last one.

“I’m a free spirit,” Jasper corrected. “Besides, I learned everything I needed, and that last paper is just a pain in the ass.”

Edward shook his head. He’d witnessed Jasper’s abilities. The guy was brilliant. “I can’t believe you didn’t graduate.”

Jasper shrugged. “I still have a couple of months left if I want to bother with it.”

“Oh, he’s going to,” Bella said, staring at Jasper. “Even if I have to tie his ass to a chair to get him to do it.”

“I’ll see you try, shorty,” Jasper teased.

Edward exchanged a glance with Bella. “She’s going to have help.”

“Hey, that’s two against one, not fair!”

“All’s fair in love, war, and a game of Never Have I Ever,” Edward repeated Bella’s earlier words. He chuckled when Bella lifted her right hand for a hi-five. He didn’t leave her hanging.

“I’m doomed,” Jasper said in resignation. He wasn’t truly bothered. He knew he could write the damned final project if he wanted to. He just didn’t feel like bothering with it. “At least it’s my turn now. Bella, fill up your glass, love.”

Bella obliged. “Hit me.”

“Never have I ever earned a master’s degree.” Jasper looked at Edward. “I do believe that you, Mister Educated, drink on that one.”

Edward laughed. He’d brought this on himself, he knew. “Cheers.” A penny went into the center, leaving them in a three-way tie of one penny. Looking at Bella’s smiling face, Edward knew he was about to lose this round. Only question was would he take Jasper with him.

Filling up his glass, Bella smirked. “Never have I ever used the toilet while standing up.”

The two men groaned. “Wait, that’s against the rules!” Jasper suddenly cried. "Girls can’t use the toilet while standing.”

“No, it’s not, and, yes, they can,” Bella said confidently. Picking up her phone, she quickly pulled up the search result she was looking for. “There are several brands, and you can buy disposable ones. This one is called Go Girl.”

Edward almost snatched the phone from her hands, and Jasper leaned across the table to stare at the screen.

“Well, damn,” Jasper muttered as he slid back to his seat.

Bella poured her shot glass into the wine glass. “I do believe I’ve won this round.”

“Yeah, you have.” Edward sighed and picked up his shot glass. “Bottom’s up, Jasper.” And the two drank their shots.

“Okay,” Bella said. “I declare that the next round is the last.”

Jasper nodded. He had a feeling Bella was up to something but figured that he didn’t mind. She did have a mean streak about her, but the game had been friendly so far.

Pennies were arranged again, the quarter was placed between Bella and Edward to signify the tie, and the glasses were filled.

“Edward, you start,” Bella announced. “Since I went last the previous round.”

“Prepare to eat dust, girlie,” he said, making her and Jasper laugh. “Never have I ever failed a subject in high school.”

“Edward!” Bella whined. “You know that Coach Clapp hated my guts.”

Jasper laughed. As soon as she said the word ‘coach,’ he knew that the class she failed was PE. Bella’s clumsiness, while not so bad now, was infamous.

“It wasn’t his fault you couldn’t walk across a perfectly level plane without stumbling over your own shadow,” Edward said, chuckling as she continued to pout. “Penny down, bottom’s up.”

Huffing, Bella picked up her glass and drank her shot before removing one of the pennies from in front of her.

“Never have I ever had more than two orgasms in the same session,” Jasper said, making Bella cry out.

“What is this, ‘Pick on Bella’ round?” she demanded.

Edward chuckled. “Looks like it.” Bella’s expression when she shot him a murderous look was hilarious. She reminded him of a hissing kitten.

Bella slammed her shot against the table when she finished her shot. “It’s not my fault that Jasper’s so good a lover that by the time I get him to come a second time, I’ve had like five orgasms and can’t move to save my life!”

“Why, thank you, love,” Jasper said and leaned across the table to take her mouth in a short kiss. He swirled his tongue into her mouth, tasting the alcohol on her breath. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t complaining.”

Edward gave Jasper an appreciative onceover.

Jasper shot him a wink when he returned to his seat.

Slightly mollified by the kiss, Bella reminded herself that she didn’t have to win this round. She only had to make sure Jasper didn’t win or they would never finish the game. “Never have I ever been paid for selling a piece of computer program I’d written.”

Jasper accepted defeat gracefully and drank his shot. Edward smiled and did the same. They pushed one penny each forward and poured themselves another shot.

“Sorry, Jasper, but you’re going to be drinking another one,” Edward said. “Never have I ever given my partner five orgasms in one night.”

Bella hid her face in her palms, her shoulders shaking with her laughter. “You’re never going to forget I said that, are you?”

“No,” they both answered her at the same time.

Jasper picked up his glass. “This is another one I don’t mind drinking to.”

The score was a tie between Jasper and Bella at three pennies, and Edward was in the lead with four.

After filing up his glass, Jasper looked at Bella and said, “Never have I ever ridden inside a police patrol car.” The only reason he could say it was because when Charlie came to pick up Bella from the airport, he took Bella’s truck as it had more room for her luggage.

Edward and Jasper both laughed when Bella picked up a crumbled napkin from the table and threw it at Jasper.

“The joys of being the Chief’s daughter,” she muttered before drinking. She pushed her penny forward. “Never have I ever been accused of a serious crime.”

“That’s low, Bella,” Jasper muttered after taking his shot.

“All’s fair—” she began.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he cut her off. “Just remember, lover, payback is a bitch.”

“I thought that was karma,” Edward commented off handedly. “Do I get to hear the full story?”

Bella poured Jasper another shot. “His bitch of an ex tried to set him up for some drug charges. She was too stupid to actually do it credibly, thankfully, and nothing stuck.”

“Oh.” Edward hadn’t expected to hear something like that. Damn. “I’m glad nothing came out of it.”

“That makes two of us,” Jasper agreed. He glanced at the table. He and Bella had two pennies a piece. Edward had four. _Looks like Edward’s going to win the game. Hmm…maybe that’s not such a bad idea._

Edward tilted his head to the side, thinking. Jasper’s turn was next after his. If Edward could knock both him and Bella to one penny, Jasper would either take Bella out—thus returning the round back to Edward for the final knockout—or leave her hanging, which would make Bella the next to act. No matter what she did—take Jasper out or leave him in—it would be Edward’s turn then, again giving him the win. All he had to do was come up with something that would be true for both of them. “I got it.” He smirked. “Never have I ever lived with a member of the opposite sex that wasn’t related to me by blood or by marriage.”

Bella looked at Jasper and smirked herself. _Looks like Edward takes this round._ She tossed her drink and pushed her penny forward. Both she and Jasper had one penny. Doing the same mental calculation as Edward had just done, Bella knew Jasper wouldn’t eliminate her. That would pass the turn back to Edward, thus giving him the win. Instead, Jasper would target Edward.

Filling up his glass and Bella’s, Jasper could practically hear his two opponents thinking. He had three choices: throw the round, target Edward, or eliminate Bella. The first two options wouldn’t change a thing. Edward could take two hits and proceed to eliminate Bella and him. Jasper preferred not to be the first to lose if he could help it. “Never have I ever had a class in high school with less than thirty people,” he said.

Bella’s mouth fell open in shock before she drank her final shot. She should have thought about the option of doing both—eliminating her _and_ targeting Edward. Jasper had a competitive side, just like she had, and she should have remembered that. “Let’s see if Jasper can wiggle a victory out of this one.” She looked at Edward. “Your turn.”

Jasper chuckled. “I don’t think I like my odds,” he admitted.

Edward gave Bella his shot for a refill and smiled. “You’re going down, Jasper. I want my forfeit. Never have I ever had sex on the kitchen floor.”

Jasper burst out in laughter, and Bella hi-fived Edward.

“It’s your loss,” Jasper tried to say between fits of laughter. “Maybe.”

“Nope,” Bella responded, giggling herself. “The floor is no place for sex, even when it’s not covered with sticky Canadian maple.”

Edward couldn’t hold back his own laughter anymore. “You two are impossible!” he said as he poured the contents of his shot into the wine glass. It was just barely a third full. It was good, he decided. They were all slightly tipsy by now, but none of them was too drunk to enjoy what he was planning for the rest of the evening.

“But you love us anyway,” Bella declared and planted a kiss on his mouth. She’d intended for it to be a short and sweet one, but Edward deepened the kiss instantly, almost devouring her mouth.

Jasper smiled as he watched them kiss. Bella was right. It was very arousing to watch her and Edward kissing. He briefly glanced at the floor, contemplating how annoyed Bella would be with him if he simply dragged them down to the floor for some hot sex.

Before he could decide, Edward came up for air. “I do believe you owe me a forfeit, sweet lips,” he said to Bella.

Bella giggled at the nickname. “Looks like I do, and Jasper owes me one.”

“At your service, ma’am,” Jasper said.

“So, what’s it gonna be, Edward?” Bella asked.

Edward looked from her to Jasper, seeing the desire in the other man’s eyes. Turning back to Bella, he said, “I want a striptease dance like the one you’ve done for Jasper.”

Bella’s lips spread into a sexy smile that had Edward’s heart pick up its beat. “You got it. I just need to go upstairs to change. You can use the time to clean up here.” She turned to the wine glass and downed half of its contents.

“Hey!” Edward exclaimed. “You haven’t told Jasper what you want, and he hasn’t agreed.”

Bella met Jasper’s eyes across the table. She could almost feel the heat radiating off of them caressing her own skin. “Oh, he isn’t going to refuse me.”

Jasper nodded. He had no idea what she was going to ask, but her husky voice brought all kinds of wonderful possibilities to his mind, and he would gladly agree to every single one.

Taking the wine glass, Edward finished the rest of the Vodka in it, savoring the light burn it left as it went down. It was cooler than the desire that was building inside him, anyway.

“I’m just going to steal Jasper for a moment, Edward,” Bella said, walking around the island. “He needs to know which song to put on,” she added.

Edward watched the two of them disappear up the stairs and wondered if he was ready for whatever would happen tonight. As it promised to involve Jasper and Bella, Edward found he didn’t really care.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are more than just more than heating up. Jasper, Bella, and Edward are about to light up some fires, and they're going to enjoy the rush of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephanie Meyer. The original plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.  
> Thank you to LeeorV for giving this chapter a good polish. Any mistakes still in here are all mine.

**Chapter Six**

Jasper slammed Bella against the wall of the hallway as soon as she finished telling him what his forfeit was. His mouth slanted across hers as he buried his fingers in her hair and made love to her mouth. His body pressed further against her, seeking friction for his aching erection.

Bella tore her mouth away from his, gasping for breath, and Jasper attacked her neck, being none too gentle about it. "Fuck, Jasper. If you don't stop, I'm going to explode."

Thinking he wasn't too far from exploding himself, he only switched to the other side of her neck and moved his hands to cup her breasts. "Do you have any idea how much I want to fuck you right now?"

Bella giggled, breathlessly. "Seeing how you're all but inside me right now, yeah, I do have some idea."

Jasper muttered a few unintelligible curses before pulling away from her. "Go. Get changed." He took deep gulps of air. "I think I'll take a shower and take care of myself, or I won't last thirty seconds into your dance."

Bella moaned and bit her lip. "Don't say things like that, Jay. Not when I'm so wet for you I'm about to leave traces on the floor."

Jasper banged his head on the wall behind her. "You've officially turned me into a horny teenager again," he muttered.

Bella chuckled as she slid out from between him and the wall. "You're saying it like you're not always a horny teenager," she teased.

"You know, there was a time when I considered myself a reasonable, rational adult, possessing plenty of self-control," Jasper said, shaking his head. "Go, now!"

Deliberately, Bella swayed her hips just a little more than was absolutely necessary as she walked to her bedroom. As soon as she was inside, she nearly collapsed against the closed door. She wasn't just wet. She was soaking. The game had her slightly aroused. Then, Edward kissed her as though he was starving and she a juicy steak. When Jasper pressed his sexy body against hers, she was practically a goner.

Gathering herself, Bella jumped into the shower to freshen up. She also gave her legs another shave, just to make sure they were extra smooth. Brushing her hair until it was silky and shined under the bathroom lights, she took two silver hairpins that she had designed herself and gathered her hair away from her face.

Rummaging through her underwear drawer, she quickly located a set of light blue bra, panties, and garter belt. She wouldn't put on stockings, but she would wear the belt. Next, she looked at the back of her closet for that micro-skirt that she bought and never wore because it turned out to be so much shorter than it seemed in the picture on the online store. It was a pleated, navy blue skirt with two thin white strips running down the bottom. She debated which top to put on when she recalled the shirt that she'd bought Edward earlier that day.

Bella slowly peeked around the door to make sure no one was out in the hall. Seeing that the coast was clear, she ran as quietly as she could to the guestroom and slipped inside. Only once she was in, she considered the possibility that Edward might have been inside. Barely stifling a giggle, she thanked her lucky stars he wasn't. She didn't want to spoil the surprise. A quick look around revealed that Edward—the tidy soul that he was—had unpacked the clothes already, and she found the shirt hanging in the closet.

Safely wrapped in the light blue dress shirt, Bella tied the bottom tails around her waist, just above the skirt, and made another almost-quiet dash back to her room. She considered putting on some makeup but decided against it. It was going to get smeared anyway.

Spraying a little perfume behind her ears and between her breasts, Bella pondered which footwear to put on. She could go barefoot. There was always something sexy about that, but she felt like heels tonight. Opening the other side of her closet, she carefully perused the small collection of shoes on the floor. She finally decided on a pair of lace-up heels in royal blue. They weren't too high that she couldn't dance in them, but the lacing halfway up her calf made her feel sexy.

Just before she was ready to go downstairs, Bella walked to the master bedroom. Jasper was nowhere in sight, and she guessed he'd gone back to Edward already. Going to his closet, Bella took the last item to complete her outfit—Jasper's black hat. It was made of felt and had short round rims. It was slightly too big for her, but it didn't need to stay on her head for long.

o.O.o

"Jasper?" Bella called from the stairway.

"Ten seconds," he answered her. Gesturing for Edward to go sit on the living room couch, Jasper turned off the main lights, leaving only the sunken surrounding illumination on. Then, he picked up his phone, which he'd already connected to the sound system, and clicked to play the song Bella had asked for.

As soon as the first notes sounded, he made his way to sit next to Edward. He was about to enjoy the show just as much as he knew Edward would.

"Just remember, boys," Bella called from the darkened stairway, "No touching unless I say you're allowed to."

Edward swallowed. Her voice was different, husky. It made him think of black silk sheets and red ropes, and he never thought himself the type.

When Bella walked out into the living room, Edward thought he just might split the seam of the jeans he was wearing. She had on a man's blue dress shirt and the tiniest skirt he had ever seen. The heels on her feet made her legs look a mile long, and the way she swayed her hips to the beat of the music was absolutely sinful.

Bella smiled as she began to move her body, lifting her hands above her head as she shook her hips from side to side. When her hands made the way back down, she made sure to cup her breasts before lowering them to her lower hips, just where the skirt began, and made a sensual twist. Those pole and exotic dance lessons taught her to move her body in ways she didn't know she could, but with her past experience dancing for Jasper, she knew those moves drove a man crazy.

As she'd requested, Jasper put one chair to the side, and she grabbed it now, placing it in front of the couch. Turning her back to the guys, she folded her hands on the back of the chair and dipped low, giving them a glimpse under her skirt. Turning back around, she shimmied down into a crouch then placed her knees on the wooden floor and spread her legs lightly.

Jasper groaned when Bella's hands caressed her thighs from knee to just below the edge of the skirt. He could almost see what she had under the dark fabric. Almost. Spreading his legs a little wider, Jasper adjusted himself and saw that Edward had done the same.

Bella leaned forward, showing them a peek into her cleavage, and crawled forward a few paces before straightening her legs and snapping up. The hat she'd worn went flying off her head, and her hair swirled around her in a cloud of brown.

Turning the chair sideways, Bella swung her leg over it and sat with the back of it facing her. Arching her body, she leaned back, revealing her stomach as the shirt rose. Hands on the floor behind her, she hooked one leg behind one of the chair's and lifted the other to rest on the top of the chair's back. Lifting her ass from the chair, she put one hand between her thighs and slowly moved it up her body while thrusting her hips up to match the seductive rhythm of the song.

Edward fisted his hands at his sides. He wanted to touch her so much, wanted to replace the hand she was pressing to her breasts with his mouth and feel those hips of her on either side of him as he thrust up to fill her.

Snapping back down, Bella quickly moved her leg back to the floor and stood up, forming a straight angle between her legs and her body. Moving the chair to the side, she faced the guys again just as a fast-paced part of the song came up. Executing a set of intricate moves, she quickly untied the tails of the shirt to let it fall to the sides. When the music slowed again, her hands were on the buttons. Moving from side to side, she watched her two lovers as they followed her fingers. One button at a time. When she finished with all of the buttons, she turned her back to them to tease them a little more and spread the sides of the shirt.

"Tease," Jasper muttered, unable to look away. Bella was slowly lowering the shirt, but her long hair reached the edge of the skirt, thus only giving them small glances of her body.

Finally removing the shirt from her body, Bella bent forward, keeping her knees locked and legs slightly parted. Wrapping her hands around her ankles, she watched them watching her as she caressed herself. Straightening back, she lifted one leg in a perfect vertical split, pressing her ankle to her ear as she used the momentum to make a turn.

Edward gasped at the move. Bella was flexible!

Jasper grinned. He loved when she showed off her skills, and it brought several very interesting ideas to his mind. He would find a time to put them to work later, he decided.

Lowering her leg to the floor, Bella reached for the small zipper at the back of her skirt. Once her leg was on the floor, she began to slowly widen her stance at the same time as lowering the zipper. Finishing in another perfect split, this time on the floor, Bella leaned back and slowly closed her legs. When her legs were back together, slightly bent at the knees, she executed an arch that brought her back to standing.

With skirt unzipped, when Bella's body was vertical again, the skirt simply fell to the floor.

"Beautiful," Edward said.

Smiling at them, Bella made a show of touching herself as she moved with the music. She loved that song. It had a strong bass that she could feel almost like a second heartbeat. When her hands reached her face, she put two fingers in her mouth, and looked into Edward's eyes when she slowly sucked them in.

Jasper groaned, and Edward cursed.

"Yes, baby, touch yourself," Jasper encourage when Bella moved the wet fingers down her chest and into the cups of her tiny blue lace bra. Instead of unclasping it, she pushed the fabric down. "I want to suck those so much right now."

Bella smirked and continued to play with her nipples, pinching them slightly. Once they were nice and hard, she moved forward, crossing one leg before the other in a quasi-runway walk.

Edward was mesmerized by this dark beauty approaching them. When she placed one knee between his legs and the other between Jasper's, he looked up into her face. She was biting her lip, but it wasn't a nervous gesture. _This is intentional seduction,_ he thought, _and damn, but it's working really well._

He was so hard it almost hurt.

Lowering herself to sit on their legs, Bella threaded the fingers of her hands into their hair. They didn't need more than the slight pressure of her hands toward her body to understand. In the next breath, Jasper and Edward each latched on to a nipple and began suckling.

Bella let out a deep, guttural moan as an ache formed in her belly. She didn't think about her movements when she began to rock gently back and forth. They played with her breasts like musicians on their favorite instruments, tormenting and arousing her.

At some point, one of them reached for the clasp of the bra and opened it.

The song ended and another began, but neither of them cared. Bella was too preoccupied with the hands touching her. Jasper slid one hand between her thigs and was rubbing her above the wet lace of her panties.

Edward watched Bella's face as she began to moan louder. Sliding his hand next to Jaspers, he moved under the fabric and dipped it into Bella's heat. She was soaking.

"Oh, god, yes," Bella muttered, her eyes falling closed.

"Shall we make her come?" Jasper asked Edward huskily, moving his own finger into her panties. "What do you say, Edward?"

Instead of answering, Edward pushed two fingers inside her, and Bella screamed in pleasure.

Jasper found her clit and began rubbing it, knowing it wouldn't take long. She was so high strung.

"I think our beautiful girl deserves a prize," Edward said. "What do you say, Bella, do you want us to make you come?"

Bella quickly nodded her head, her nails scraping their napes as she desperately tried to move faster.

"Then let go, baby," Jasper encouraged, moving his fingers faster. "Ride our fingers and let us feel your lovely pussy contract."

Throwing her head back, Bella gave into the pleasure they were bringing her. Edward used the opportunity to wrap his lips around her nipple again and matched the rhythm of his fingers to that of his mouth.

Within the next breath or two, Bella exploded, crying out her pleasure.

Edward moaned himself when her inner muscles clamped around his fingers, and he could only imagine how good it would feel around his dick.

Slowly removing his hand from her body, Edward was surprised when Bella suddenly grabbed his fingers and took them in her mouth. Her eyes were blazing as she licked her own taste off them.

Jasper smiled as he witnessed her actions. He was going to enjoy this almost as much as Edward.

"Yes, Bella, lick his fingers clean," he encouraged. "They brought you a lot of pleasure, didn't they?"

Bella hummed around the fingers she continued to suck. Looking at Jasper, she released Edward's fingers and said, "I do believe it's time for your forfeit, Jay."

Edward wondered if it was possible to spontaneously combust. He was so hard it was uncomfortable, and he wasn't sure he could watch whatever Jasper did to Bella without wanting to participate as well. He was surprised, therefore, when Bella slid down to the floor and moved to kneel between his own legs.

Raising a brow, Edward looked from Bella to Jasper.

"Just lean back and enjoy, Edward," Jasper said. "You see, our little innocent Bella here asked me for a favor I am very glad to give her. All you have to do is give in." Turning to Bella, he said, "Let me get you a pillow for your knees. You're about to spend some time on them."

"Yes, Jasper."

Something about that obedient tone of her voice had Edward's imagination lighting up again. While she was independent and stubborn, it seemed that Bella didn't mind following orders when it came to the bedroom.

Jasper returned with a large pillow, and Bella made herself comfortable on it. "First, start with his shirt. Slowly slide your hands up his body. You can follow with your mouth, see which parts Edward enjoys when you kiss and lick."

When Bella's hands moved to his waist to do just as Jasper ordered, Edward knew he was in for a treat. As Bella's warm mouth followed her hands, kissing his abdomen, up his chest, and finally nibbling on his collarbone, Edward raised his hands to help her remove his shirt. He had an inkling of what he was about to receive, especially when he thought about what they'd revealed during the game earlier.

"Good, Bella. Try licking his nipples, see if he likes it," Jasper said. "You see, Edward, apparently our Bella thinks she needs guidance on how to give a good blowjob. She asked me to instruct her, but I think she wouldn't mind if you helped. After all, its your body she is going to be touching."

Edward looked to Jasper, a hint of a smile on his face. "I think together we can make sure she is poperly educated on the subject." He hissed when her mouth closed on his nipple, and she gently bit him. "Fuck, Bella."

"Later," Jasper whispered in Edward's ear. He joined his hands to Bella's in exploring Edward's chest, and the latter leaned his head back on the couch and simply gave in. "Undo his jeans, Bella, slowly. I bet he is quite hard, and the dick is quite sensitive, so be gentle."

Bella moved her hands down and gently undid the button and slid the zipper down. Jasper was right, Edward was very hard.

"Now, you can just move the fabric down, but I think Edward would be more comfortable if you stripped him," Jasper continued to speak. "Lift your hips up, Edward."

Edward obeyed and watched Bella push the pants and underwear down his legs.

Jasper hummed in approval. "Looks like you're a lucky girl, Bella. Our Edward is well groomed. Touch him, baby, get yourself familiar with the feeling."

Edward would have laughed at Jasper's comment if his breath didn't catch in his lungs when Bella, again, obeyed Jasper. Her touch was hesitant at first, soft and teasing.

"Mmm… You're so hard and yet so soft," she murmured, her fingers moving up and down the long shaft that was already forming a bead of pre-cum at the tip.

"Good," Jasper said, his voice slightly husky. He brought his hand over Bella's, and they both began working Edward. "Do you like that, Edward?" he asked softly. "You have to tell Bella what you like best."

Edward's response was a groan, making Jasper chuckle.

"Cup him, Bella," Jasper said, guiding her hand down. "Now, use your other hand to continue to move up and down his dick."

"Yes," Edward murmured. He forced his eyes open to look at Bella's and Jasper's hands caressing him. Damn, if it wasn't the most erotic experience of his life.

Jasper moved his hand up to caress Edward's chest. "Good, Bella. Now, wrap your mouth around his tip and taste him, but continue moving your hand up and down."

Edward groaned again when he was wrapped in Bella's warm mouth. "Fuck, your mouth is so hot, Bella."

"Now move to the side and lick him from base to tip, Bella," Jasper ordered and waited for her to do just that. "That's it, make him nice and wet."

Edward's breathing was heavier now, and when Jasper added small kisses to his collarbone, it didn't help. He couldn't look away from Bella, though, as she meticulously licked him around, kissing and caressing. "Take me in your mouth, Bella," he almost begged.

Bella returned to his tip and began doing just that.

"Work your way down slowly, love," Jasper instructed. "Try to relax your throat as you take in more of Edward's dick and be careful of your teeth."

Bella hummed, and Edward's thighs jerked up.

"Oh, he likes that, Bella," Jasper said. "Breathe through your nose, Bella, and move up and down. When you reach the tip, hollow your cheeks and see how Edward reacts."

Edward decided he was in heaven. That, or the most pleasurable chamber of hell. Bella's mouth worked him closer and closer to an orgasm. Jasper's strong hands added another dimension to the pleasure coursing through his body, and listening to him as he instructed Bella couldn't be any more arousing or erotic. "God, Bella, yes, baby, just like that. Suck me."

Bella doubled her efforts. She tried to implement everything Jasper was telling her, but she was slightly distracted by the sounds Edward was making. Humming around him again, she tried to take him even deeper, breathing through her nose. She could only fit about half of him, and Jasper told her to use her hand to caress everything that didn't fit.

Looking up, she saw that Edward had his eyes closed and his mouth was slightly open. Jasper was caressing him, and Bella knew she wanted to see them kiss again. Working her way up, she whispered, "Jasper. I think Edward would like a kiss from you as well as from me." Her eyes twinkled as she moved her tongue to swirl around the mushroomed tip of Edward's dick, gathering the moisture that was forming there.

Jasper smirked and nodded. He gently turned Edward's face toward him and covered his mouth at the same time as Bella took his dick into her mouth.

Edward moaned. His hips were moving involuntarily now, and when Jasper kissed him, thrusting his tongue into his mouth, Edward sucked on it with pleasure. This was almost too much. He had never been so aroused in his life. He also couldn't believe how good Bella was. Hearing the sounds his two partners were making only added fuel to the fire of his desire, and Edward gave in.

He moved one hand to Jasper's nape and the other to Bella's and applied gentle pressure to both. He was getting so close, just a little more, and then, suddenly, he was there. The orgasm exploded inside him, and he tore his mouth from Jasper's to let out a deep groan.

"Hold still, baby, and swallow as you go," he heard Jasper instruct Bella. "That's it, love, and if anything escapes, you can lick it after."

Absolutely spent for the moment, Edward opened hazy eyes and found himself looking at the ceiling. "Fuck. Me."

Jasper chuckled. "I think that's in the plans for tonight."

"Definitely," Bella said. She slowly rose from her knees and found herself wobbling.

Jasper caught her and brought her to straddle him. "Give me a kiss, beautiful."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled. "Gladly."

Still catching his breath, Edward watched the two of them kissing and found his body slowly start to react. Bella was wearing only two tiny pieces of fabric that were her underwear and what he guessed to be a garter belt. Moving his hand to brush her hair away, his fingers remained on her skin, softly caressing her back as Bella began to rock on top of Jasper.

"Bella, honey," Jasper murmured between kisses. "Let's take this upstairs. I think we would all be more comfortable on a bed."

Panting, Bella gave him one last kiss and nodded. "I just…" She paused to take a breath. "I might need help standing up." She giggled. "My legs are like jelly right now."

Smiling, Edward stood and gently picked her up in his arms. "Problem solved."

Jasper looked up at the sight. "Not bad for someone who said he needed a gym membership."

Edward winked at him. "She's not _that_ heavy."

With her arms around his neck, Bella leaned in to nibble on his ear. "I was promised a bed," she said. Then she turned to look at Jasper, taking note of his state of arousal. "And we should really help Jasper with that."

Edward followed Bella's gaze and nodded. "We probably should. He was very good to the both of us."

"You go up," Jasper said. "I'll just turn off the music and be right with you." He rose and slowly approached his phone. Deciding that he preferred comfort, he undid the top button and zipper to release the pressure before picking up their discarded clothing and following Edward and Bella up the stairs. The evening went better than he'd expected. He had been hopeful, but he hadn't expected such a positive result.

By the time Jasper entered the master bedroom, Edward was lying between Bella's spread thighs feasting on her. The image of their two naked bodies, both toned and pale, made Jasper smile.

"Jasper," Bella moaned. "Fuck, Edward, your mouth feels so good. Yes, right there."

Jasper's hands were working on his clothes while his eyes were glued to Bella's body arching on the white sheets. Within moments, he was naked and crawling into bed beside Bella. His mouth and fingers descended on her breasts.

Edward took note of Jasper's arrival, but he didn't stop what he was doing. He had two fingers sliding in and out of Bella, and his tongue flicked her clit, earning moans, groans, and cries of pleasure. Thinking about how good she made him feel, he decided to ask, "Bella, baby?"

When Bella could do nothing more than groan, Edward pulled slightly away.

Bella growled in protest.

"Good, now I have your attention," Edward said with a chuckle when Jasper and Bella both looked at him. "I think you should show Jasper what you've learned tonight." Without waiting for either of them to respond, he said, "Jasper, kneel beside her head. She should be able to reach you."

"Only if you want to, baby," Jasper said softly to Bella before he moved.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Get your dick over here," she demanded. "Edward is right, I should show you how good a teacher you are."

Smiling, Jasper moved to kneel beside her head, sliding another pillow beneath it to make her more comfortable. He sighed when she reached for him, her slim fingers barely meeting as they wrapped around his length. Yes, she was breathtakingly sexy as she moved her head to take him in her mouth.

The benefit of this position over the one she had with Edward was that he could still have access to her breasts, and Jasper took full advantage. As she licked and sucked and slowly began to work him deeper into her throat, he played with her nipples, alternating between them.

Edward kept his eyes on Bella's mouth as his fingers resumed their movements in and out of her body. It was better than anything he'd ever seen online. Even as he leaned to flick his tongue over Bella's clit, making her moan around Jasper's thick dick, he didn't look away. Instead, he found himself matching the rhythm of his fingers to that of Jasper's thrusts.

Jasper tried to keep his hips from thrusting too fast, but Bella was too good. She took him more than halfway in, and he could feel himself reaching the back of her throat. Her fingers cupped his balls and occasionally slid upward to join her mouth, spreading moisture all over him. Her other hand was firmly lodge in Edward's hair. Looking down her body, he saw Edward watching them.

"Yeah, now you know how much of a turn on it was watching her with you," he said with a wink.

Edward smiled. His eyes travelled momentarily to Jasper's fingers as they pinched Bella's nipple. "You know, I think we should get her some nipple clamps," he said absentmindedly.

Jasper raised a brow. Interesting. Did Edward have a kinky side? Looking back at Bella, Jasper asked, "What do you say, lover, should we get clamps for your rosy nipples?"

Bella's eyes widened. She knew what they were but never thought to experiment. She didn't know if she would like them.

Jasper saw interest in her eyes and smiled. "I think she might like that, Edward."

"I think so, too," Edward agreed. He felt her muscles clench when Jasper asked her. "She nearly came all over my fingers just now."

"Did she now?" Jasper's eyes held mischief as he looked at Bella, who seemed to be blushing. Pulling back, he said. "Don't move."

Even Edward paused when Jasper jumped from the bed and went to the dresser. "Of course," he muttered. "You're one kinky bastard, aren't you, Jasper?"

Jasper just grinned as he took out several items and brought them over to the bed. They were still wrapped in their plastic packaging. He'd bought them on a whim but never had the opportunity to use them. Now, Jasper realized that he was just waiting for the missing piece to join them. Edward. "How wet is she, Edward?"

Bella's eyes widened when she saw what he held in one hand. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She wasn't sure if she wanted to object or to encourage them.

Edward smirked. "Like a warm pool in the summer."

"Then perhaps we won't need the gel." Jasper threw Edward the small butt plug and placed the tube of gel on the side table. Then, he unraveled the chain from the clamps. They had black edges that seemed to be made of silicone, and Bella found herself panting faster at the thought of Jasper and Edward playing with her like that. "Spread your legs wide, baby, and let Edward prepare you. We're both much bigger than that little toy, and I assure you, you'll feel us both inside you before this night is over."

Bella shivered at the dark promise in his tone and eyes. "Promises, promises," she managed to let out in a breathless but teasing tone.

Pushing her legs further apart, Edward kneeled between them and began to run the tear-shaped silver toy between Bella's wet folds, coating it with her moisture. With one hand holding her lips spread, he watched as the toy disappeared inside her pink flesh and reappeared when he pulled it back.

Bella moaned. "Fuck, that is such a tease."

Jasper moved to her breasts and placed the first clamp. "Tell me if this is too tight, honey."

Bella shook her head. "Feels good."

Jasper licked the pinched nipple, making Bella moan again, and proceeded to place the other one. Looking at her clamped peaks, he salivated. She was sexy as sin, and he really wanted to be inside her. Looking down her body, he watched Edward prepare her and move the plug down to her tight ring. "Relax, Baby," he encouraged. Leaning across her body, he closed his mouth over her clit and moved his hands under her thighs to hold her open for Edward.

Bella couldn't catch her breath. They were going to kill her with pleasure. The light tug on her nipples, the tongue on her clit, and the plug caressing her back entrance was too much and not enough at the same time.

"That's it, love," Edward encouraged her as he continued to press in the butt plug. In the next press of his fingers, it slid into her. "God, that is so sexy."

"Yes," Bella hissed. It felt weird having the plug inside her, but it was the good kind of weird, she decided. When Edward began playing with it, moving it around inside her, she sucked in a breath. "Fuck me, that feels good. Jasper, I want your cock inside my mouth right now, and I want Edward's inside my pussy, or I swear, I will explode."

Edward's eyes widened at her outburst, but Jasper just laughed huskily.

"Your wish is my command, sexy girl." Jasper moved one leg over Bella and scooted back so that he was poised right above her mouth. She latched on to him immediately, and Jasper hissed in pleasure. "Fuck, Bella, you're getting too good at this." Looking up at Edward, he saw that he was just staring at them with amazement while kneeling between Bella's spread legs. "Looks like our Bella gets a little wild when teased this much."

Edward was pulled out of his stupor when Jasper's hand wrapped around his dick, giving him a long stroke. Letting Jasper guide him, he hissed in pleasure as he finally entered Bella. "God, Bella, you feel so good."

In the next moment, he began to move, thrusting into her with ever growing pace. Holding on to her thighs, he opened eyes he didn't realize he had closed to see Jasper rubbing her clit between tugs at her nipple clamps. The sounds coming from Bella left no doubt in the men's minds that she was loving everything they were doing to her.

After several more moments spent with their three bodies moving in perfect sync, Jasper heard Bella start making those telltale sounds that she was about to come. Not wanting to risk a bite in a very sensitive place, he pulled out of her mouth and continued to rub her clit as Edward's cock slid deep inside her.

"Yes, Bella, come for us, baby," he encouraged.

Edward panted when she began to clamp around him. "God, Bella, yes. You feel so good. Come, love."

It took a few more thrusts before Bella screamed, her body coming off the bed in an arc.

Edward held onto her waist as she shivered and shook around him. Sliding out of her, Edward sat on his heels and just watched the movement of her breasts as she tried to catch her breath.

"We're not done yet, Bella," Jasper announced. Lying on his back, he rolled Bella to straddle him, and guided his own dick inside her still clenching muscles. "That's it, baby. You can take another round."

Edward shook his head as Bella lay like a ragdoll on top of Jasper who was thrusting upward.

"Lean down, Bella, and let Edward replace that toy inside your ass with something a little bigger," Jasper ordered. He knew that he was very close to a climax himself—the only reason he'd held on so long was that short session in the shower to take the edge off while Bella got dressed—and he wanted to see if he could give Edward and Bella another one before that.

Floating on a cloud of sexual pleasure, Bella didn't even hear what Jasper said. She just lay over him, whimpering in pleasure as he pushed inside her.

"Take the plug out, Edward, and slide inside her. She's ready for you."

Edward decided that he should just listen to Jasper instead of gaping at the two before him like an idiot. He spread Bella's cheeks and reached for the plug. Tossing it somewhere behind them, he grabbed himself and began pressing the tip of his dick inside her.

"Hold still for a moment, Bella," Jasper whispered to her. "Let your body adjust to Edward. That's it, baby. How does it feel to have both of us inside you, sexy?"

"Un-fucking-believable," Bella groaned. There was only the slight sting when the head of Edward's cock passed through the tight entrance, but now that they were both fully seated inside her, all she felt was incredibly full.

"You set the pace, Edward," Jasper told him. "Go as fast or as slow as you want."

Edward nodded and tested out a few shallow thrusts. It was amazing. He could feel Jasper inside Bella through the thin barrier, and it was more than words could describe. Pressing himself to Bella, he wrapped one arm around her to play with her breast and clamped his mouth on her bare shoulder. Gradually, he increased the pace of his thrusts, finding the one he could keep and that brought him pleasure.

Bella panted as the two men filled her body. Jasper was thicker than Edward, but they were about the same length from what she could judge. Feeling them alternating in filling her, she didn't bother to hold back the sounds of her pleasure. It was a sensual overload. She had barely recovered from one orgasm before Jasper devised a new delightful torture. "You feel so food," she almost keened. "I'm going to come again. I'm so close. Yes. God… Harder, fuck me. I need you so much."

Obliging her request, Edward increased the power of his thrusts and lowered his hand to her waist to make sure she didn't dislodge herself from them.

"Yes, Edward, just like that," Jasper encouraged. "Fuck, she's clamping so hard onto my dick it's almost painful."

Edward managed a hiss of a chuckle. "Yes, I can feel it." He felt the orgasm building inside him again. It was just at the edge. His movements grew even faster, and the sounds of his two lovers moaning and crying in pleasure encouraged him. He was in a haze and felt the wave coming. "Fuck, I'm coming, Bella. Jasper don't stop. God, yes!"

Jasper came about a second later, the pulsation of Bella's muscles along with the echo of Edward's orgasm was his undoing. He growled and stilled beneath them, feeling the pulses of his body concentrate in his loins and his seed filling Bella in several warm jets of release.

Collapsing to the side, Edward lay sprawled and breathless.

Bella lay on top of Jasper who was equally as out of breath. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she wondered if it would simply jump out and make a run around the room. This was the most powerful sexual and emotional experience of her life. That first moment when both Edward and Jasper were inside her, she had felt more complete than ever before. This was the missing part of her life.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Several weeks later…** _

Jasper unlocked the front door and quietly walked into the dimly lit house. Placing the keys in the bowl next to the door, he hung up his raincoat and took off his shoes. Bella—and probably Edward, too—would have his hide if he tracked mud into the living room.

Turning toward the steps, he made his way down to the miniature basement that housed the washer and drier. He'd taken a shower at the gym before making his way back home, but his sweaty clothes and towel needed to go in for a spin. Again, both Bella and Edward would give him hell if he left them in the hamper. Honestly, Jasper couldn't understand why he couldn't just leave the clothes for the next time someone did the laundry, but as both his lovers asked him more than once not to do so, he tried to remember to throw everything into the washing machine as soon as he returned from the gym.

After the clothes were handled, Jasper went back up. As he passed the dining room on his way up to the second floor, he noticed the light was on. He walked in to see who was awake at…he glanced at his phone for the time…half past midnight.

Edward's hair was sticking in every which way as he sat with his back to Jasper, indicating he'd been running his fingers though the tresses over and over.

"Long night?" Jasper asked.

Edward sighed, nodding as he turned to look behind him. "Is it late?"

"It's past midnight," Jasper replied. He examined Edward's tired expression and walked over to place both hands on his shoulders. "What are you working on?"

Edward groaned as Jasper's talented fingers began working through the knots in his muscles. When Jasper's fingers pressed up his nape to massage the base of his skull, Edward's thoughts scattered.

"This feels really good," he murmured. "Bella's right. You do give the best massages."

Jasper smiled and placed a kiss on Edward's neck. "I know. So, what's got you sitting here in the middle of the night instead of enjoying a comfortable bed with Bella?"

"Last time I checked on her, she was buried under ten feet of something fluffy," Edward said. "That girl makes a workaholic look bad."

Jasper sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling. "That she does."

"Anyway, since she was busy and you were out, I thought I'd try to get ahead on the new levels we discussed a few days ago."

"Yeah, I remember, the hard mode with extra restrictions."

"Exactly, and I swear, I have demons in my computer. Or in my code. Or somewhere. I dunno." Edward sighed tiredly, and Jasper chuckled. He knew the feeling.

"How about you give it a rest for the night?" Jasper offered. "It's possible that you just need a good night's sleep to see the problem, and if not, I have some free time tomorrow and can help."

"You're the best," Edward said. He looked up at Jasper and lifted his hand to bring Jasper's face down for a kiss. It was soft and sweet. "I missed you today."

Jasper smiled as he pulled Edward to his feet. Once he was standing, Jasper wrapped his arms around Edward's waist. "Missed you too," he said and leaned in for another kiss. This one was longer, deeper. It was a sensual meeting of tongues and lips that lasted a small eternity, leaving them both slightly breathless. "If that's how I am greeted every time I leave the house, I should do it more often."

Edward chuckled and brushed a strand of hair out of Jasper's eyes. "Let me finish up here, and I'll join you upstairs. Feel like sharing the bedroom for the night?"

Jasper kissed him again in response. "Don't take too long, Mr. Cullen."

Edward chuckled. "I won't."

Reluctantly letting him go, Jasper stepped away from Edward and went toward the stairs.

On his way to his bedroom, Jasper glanced at the closed door to Bella's bedroom and the partially opened door to Edward's. Before Edward came into their life and after several uncomfortable days spent working in the dining room, Jasper had begun making mental plans of turning the guestroom into an office. It was no longer an option. Taking notice of the two huge bags of fabrics in the hallway next to Bella's door, Jasper thought that Bella could use a studio that wasn't also being used as her bedroom.

As much as Jasper liked the house they currently lived in, it was obvious that it had become too small for them. For the first time since moving in, Jasper felt grateful that he and Bella had decided to rent instead of buying. Wanting to invest the funds that had been returned to him, Jasper had wanted to buy a property and share it with Bella during the first year while she got her business up and running. Bella, the stubborn and proud woman that she is, refused to be an unpaying guest in his house. Jasper, on his end, refused to take her money after Charlie and she had invited him to live with them for months and didn't charge him a penny.

They'd argued for weeks before Charlie finally had had enough and offered a compromise—he would refer Jasper to a broker friend of his who would help find him a short-term investment that would yield better interest than simply leaving the money lying in the bank, and Jasper and Bella would find a place they could rent together and share the costs. Since Bella was going to be moving out either way, Charlie said he would feel more comfortable knowing that Jasper was close enough to keep an eye on her. Bella had been slightly annoyed at the "keep an eye on her" part, but she'd agreed to the offer.

Charlie's broker friend had done exactly as promised, and Jasper was pleased with the results of his financial portfolio. In fact, he thought, if he wanted to, he could make a down payment on a house all on his own. Not that either Bella or Edward would let him, but it was a comforting thought.

 _I'll have to talk to Bella and Edward soon, get their thoughts on the matter,_ he decided as he changed out of his clothes and into a pair of soft pajama pants. They were a gift from Bella, and he found that he enjoyed the feel of the fabric against his skin.

Jasper was just considering a soak in the bath versus going straight to bed when a knock on the door behind him drew his attention. "Wondered how long you were going to play with that computer of yours."

Edward chuckled. "I think I have a better idea on what to do in the next few minutes. Or hours."

Jasper's eyes flashed with desire, and he quickly closed the distance between them. "I think I like your idea." He grabbed Edward by the nape and brought their mouths together.

Edward moaned at the sudden assault on his senses. Jasper's hands quickly began to tug at his clothes while his mouth did wonderful things to Edward's before trailing down to his neck and shoulders. Edward stumbled back until he met the wall behind him without losing contact with Jasper.

Within moments, his shirt and jeans were gone, and Jasper was cupping his ass and pressing their bodies together. "Fuck, your mouth feels so good on me, Jay," he muttered as Jasper left nibbles all over his collarbones.

"I bet it would feel even better when it's here." Jasper moved his hand to the front and wrapped his fingers around Edward's erect dick.

"God, please," Edward moaned, and his hips bucked into Jasper's hand.

Jasper took his time trailing kisses down Edward's body, making sure to lick and gently bite down on his nipples, causing Edward to hiss. As he moved to his abs and naval, he pushed the last item of clothing off Edward's body. Ending up on his knees with Edward wonderfully naked before him, Jasper looked up to see his face as his hands spread on his hips.

Edward's eyes were dark and slightly hooded. He was biting down on his lip as he watched the wonderful picture Jasper made as he was kneeling in front of him, face poised exactly at the right level. As if reading his mind, Jasper moved closer and took the wide tip of Edward's dick between his lips. Never looking away from Edward's face, Jasper began to slowly work his way down the length he had in his mouth.

Edward watched, almost hypnotized by the sight, as his erection disappeared between Jasper's wet lips. They'd done plenty of experimenting over the past several weeks, so it wasn't the first time Edward found himself on the receiving end of one of Jasper's amazing blowjobs. The man had a very talented mouth.

"Yes, Jay, suck me into that wonderful mouth of yours," Edward murmured. Almost of its own will, his hands moved to rest on Jasper's nape, fingers threading into the soft hair at the base of his head.

Jasper knew just how hard to squeeze his hand around the base of Edward's cock, how to tease with small licks, and how to apply the right amount of suction to drive his partner wild. Soon, Edward was thrusting his hips into Jasper's mouth, groaning as he felt himself being surrounded by wet heat.

"You're amazing, Jay," Edward muttered. "I dream about your mouth sometimes, but nothing beats reality."

Smiling inwardly, Jasper tilted his head and took Edward even deeper. Pausing when his nose almost hit Edward's lower belly, Jasper hummed, knowing that the vibrations would drive Edward crazy.

"Fuck!" Edward cried out. He lost his breath when Jasper repeated the action. Looking down, Edward was mesmerized as Jasper took his entire length into his mouth. "So close… God, Jay, you have to…"

 _Continue doing exactly what I am,_ Jasper thought as he applied more suction on the way back and used hit tongue to caress the mushroom tip that was already leaking pre-cum. He increased his pace a little and enjoyed hearing the sounds Edward was making.

"I'm gonna… Fuck. Right there, baby…" Edward panted, realizing Jasper had no intention of stopping. He felt the climax build up the pit of his stomach. So close. Almost. "Right… Jay!"

Jasper paused when he felt Edward begin to pulse in his mouth and began to swallow around him as the orgasm washed over him. When the pulses were over, and Edward's breath was coming out in short pants, Jasper gave him one last lick and rose to stand.

Seeing that Edward's knees were about to give way, he took his hand and led him to the edge of the bed.

Edward collapsed on his back, still trying to catch his breath. "Fuck, Jay. I…" He shook his head when he couldn't speak anymore. Moving up the bed to lie on the pillow, Edward watched as Jasper moved to turn of the main lights—leaving just the bedside lamp to illuminate the room—and undressed before joining him in bed.

"Have I told you that I really love your mouth?" Edward asked when Jasper was lying beside him.

"Once or twice." Jasper chuckled. He placed his hand on Edward's chest, just above his heart, and felt the still-racing beat beneath his fingers.

"Good." Edward closed the distance between them and kissed Jasper. "Because I really do."

Jasper groaned into Edward's mouth when the latter turned them so that he was straddling him. "So, what are you going to do now that you're in control?"

"I think I will start right here," Edward said as he leaned down to kiss down Jasper's throat. He grazed the corded muscles with his teeth and soothed the skin with his tongue before moving further down. He enjoyed exploring Jasper's wide chest muscles, and his fingers moved almost of their own accord to the flat disks of his nipples to rub and pinch.

"God, that feels so good," Jasper muttered huskily as Edward replaced one of his hands with his mouth and sucked on the small hardened tip. "I want you so much, Edward."

"You have me, Jay," Edward replied, knowing that wasn't what Jasper had meant. He moved his other hand down Jasper's body, caressing the small patch of curls at the bottom of his naval just above where he knew Jasper wanted him to touch the most.

"Tease," Jasper accused.

"Guilty." Edward brushed just the tips of his fingers on the mushroomed tip. "Do you want me to lick you, Jay?"

Jasper placed a hand over Edward's and guided it to wrap the fingers around his aching dick. Moving to nibble on Edward's ear, he whispered, "I want you to fuck me, Edward. I want all that wonderful hard dick of yours inside me."

Edward's body, which was slowly recovering and had reached a semi-hard state, instantly rose to the occasion. "You want my dick—you're doing to get it."

Retrieving the gel from the nightstand, Edward squirted a little into his palm before tossing the tube aside. He rubbed his hands together to warm the gel and then placed one hand back on Jasper and the other on himself.

Jasper moaned when the first finger breached the tight ring of his anal muscles. "That feels really good, Edward. Yes, work me. Add another one."

Obeying, Edward began pumping two fingers in and out of Jasper's ass while his own hand matched the rhythm on his own dick. Slowly, he added another finger, stretching Jasper a little more, before finally deeming him ready. Still, even as he kneeled between Jasper's spread legs and held himself in one hand, prepared to slide inside him, he asked, "Ready, Jay?"

Jasper nodded, his eyes blazing with desire as he looked up at Edward. "Fuck me, lover. Nice and deep with that thick cock you know I love."

Edward guided himself slowly to push past the tight muscles. Jasper hissed at the first invasion of the thick tip. Then relaxed as Edward slowly pushed all the way inside.

"You feel so good inside me, Edward," he murmured.

Edward began to slowly retreat, going almost all the way out before pushing back in. "You're fucking tight, Jay. I love feeling you." Leaning down carefully, he took Jasper's mouth while his hands slid under Jasper's knees to keep his legs spread open for him.

Jasper moaned and sucked Edward's tongue into his mouth. He was almost breathless as pleasure built inside him with each thrust of Edward's body. "Yes, baby," he murmured between kisses. "Harder. Shit, you feel incredible."

Edward moved faster, slamming into Jasper even harder, and couldn't help uttering his own moans. He rose to lean on his palms, one on each side of Jasper, to give himself better leverage. For the next few moments, all that was heard in the room where pants, moans, and soft groans of pleasure.

A soft sound, almost a mewl, grabbed Edward's attention, and he turned to look behind him. He smiled when he saw Bella standing at the entrance to the bedroom, biting her lip to try to stifle another moan.

She looked absolutely disheveled and slightly wild with her hair falling over her shoulders in a cloud of brown mess, her clothes wrinkled in clear evidence she'd slept in them, and her expression seemed…hungry, he decided.

Wondering what had caused Edward to pause his movements, Jasper rose on his elbows to look behind him. Smiling at the sight of Bella, he called out, "Hello, darling."

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt you," Bella murmured, even as she approached the bed.

"Did we wake you?" Edward asked. He raised a hand in invitation for her to join them on the bed.

"Maybe." Bella smiled a secretive smile. "Let's just say I completely agree with you, Edward. Jasper is amazing in bed."

Jasper smirked. "I know. Now, get rid of those clothes and get your ass in this bed. I feel like showing you just how amazing I am." Moving to sit up, Jasper whispered something to Edward while they watched Bella undress. In the meantime, their hands continued to touch each other's bodies, even though Edward's movement to look back had separated their bodies.

Chuckling, Bella stripped in record time, leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, and climbed into bed.

"Nah-uh," Jasper said when she meant to kneel next to Edward. He laid back on the pillow. "I want a taste." He pointedly looked between her legs, smiling when he noticed she'd decided to go completely bare the last time she shaved—or waxed, he wasn't quite sure what her choice of poison was.

Bella obeyed eagerly, kneeling over Jasper's head, facing Edward. As she widened her knees to give Jasper access, she leaned forward to kiss Edward. She could taste Jasper on his lips and smiled against them. She loved the combination of Edward and Jasper. The perfect yum.

Edward's hands moved to cup Bella's breasts as if they were a pair of magnets and his hands were made of steel. He massaged the soft globes of flesh, caressing and pinching lightly on their tips. He swallowed her throaty moan when Jasper began applying his magical mouth to Bella's nether lips.

Moving down Bella's chest, Edward proceeded to take one nipple in his mouth, sucking hard to make her moan.

"Yes, oh, god, you guys are amazing," Bella almost cried at the pleasure overtaking her body. Jasper had two fingers pumping in and out of her, his tongue flickering rhythmically on her clit, and she felt the third finger brushing her back entrance every once in a while, teasing her. Edward's eager suckling of her nipples was adding pure gasoline to the fire that began to burn in her belly the moment she first realized what she was hearing after waking up. Reaching between Jasper and Edward, she wrapped one hand around each of her lover's hard erections and began slowly rubbing them and down.

Jasper's moan was stifled, but Bella could clearly hear Edward's groan of pleasure.

"I do believe that you…were in the middle of something before...I so rudely interrupted," she managed to say, holding back a few moans of her own. Moving her hand lower, she spread some of the gel between Jasper's ass cheeks, cupping his heavy sac on her way back. "What do you say, Jay? Should Edward put that beautifully thick cock back into your ass?"

Jasper rasped, "God, yes," before returning to attack her clit with vigor.

Bella cried out when Jasper switched his fingers, thrusting his thumb into her pussy and the two fingers he wetted with her own juices into her ass.

"Is he fucking you with his fingers?" Edward asked huskily, watching as Bella threw her head back, thrusting those beautiful breasts toward him. He moved forward, once again penetrating Jasper slowly. Once he was all the way in, he began moving. While his pelvis rocked back and forth, Edward flicked Bella's nipples with his tongue alternating between sides.

"I love you, baby," Bella moaned, meaning both of them. "And, oh, god, yes, he's fucking me with his fingers. Which feels fucking amazing."

Bella couldn't help the slight rocking of her hips as Jasper continued to torment—and pleasure—her. She knew she wouldn't last much longer. The guys were just too good.

With Edward's next thrust, Jasper added a third finger into Bella's ass and gently bit down on her clit, and she keened as her climax exploded inside her.

"Damn, you're good, Jasper," Edward muttered, watching as the dark-haired beauty before him arched and panted.

Collapsing to the side, Bella laughed breathlessly. "The best."

"Better than me?" Edward asked, pretending to be offended.

Bella shook her head, taking large gulps of air to slow down her racing heart. "You're both…the best."

"We are," Jasper agreed, looking up at Edward with a smirk.

Edward leaned down to kiss Jasper, tasting Bella on his lips, and pulled out of him. "I think I want to test that claim, Jasper."

Jasper raised a brow. "I do believe I've proved I was the best when I sucked you into a climax."

"Well, that only proved you have the best mouth," Edward teased, his eyes sparkling. They'd done plenty of experimenting in these past few weeks, but he'd never quite had the courage to try what he was about to suggest. "How about you show me just how good your cock is?"

Bella's jaw dropped in surprise and intrigue. She'd watched as the relationship between Edward and Jasper evolved, but she sensed that this was a first for them.

"Is that a challenge?" Jasper asked even as her rose to sit up, smiling.

"A request," Edward qualified. Then, turning eyes heated with desire to Bella, he said, "Get that beautiful body of yours here. I've missed being inside you."

Bella giggled even as she moved to obey him. She _had_ been busy lately, leaving Edward and Jasper mostly to themselves. Which, she knew perfectly well, they took full advantage of. Tonight hadn't been the first time she'd overheard them enjoying themselves while she was busy working.

Jasper moved to sit behind Edward, caressing the strong plains of his back as he moved. "I love it when you're being bossy," he told Edward, kissing him on the shoulder.

Once Bella was situated under Edward, he wasted no time in burying himself deep inside her. The feeling was different from the one he'd experience when he was inside Jasper, but the intensity was the same. "Fuck, you're gripping me so tightly, Bella."

"You're just so big," Bella muttered, gasping as he leaned down to torment her nipple with his tongue. "Fuck!"

"Exactly," Jasper said. He loved watching those two enjoying one another. Reaching for the tube of gel once more, he decided that on top of that bigger house, they needed a bigger bed. He honestly didn't think they would be spending many more nights separately, and this bed was just too small for all three of them to sleep in. "Doesn't she feel amazing, Edward? So wet and hot around your cock?"

Edward moaned in agreement, his mouth still on Bella's breast. He felt Jasper preparing him, and he paused at the first contact of Jasper's cock against his back entrance.

"Relax those muscles for me, baby," Jasper said softly. "Take a deep breath and release it slowly. Fuck, it's going to be one damn tight fit, Edward."

Edward breathed in and slowly let the air out as Jasper gently moved forward. There was some pain and discomfort for the first few moments, but as Jasper began rocking slightly, Edward grew accustomed to the sensation of being penetrated for the first time in his life.

"I almost envy you, Edward," Bella murmured beneath him. "Jasper's cock feels amazing when he's fucking me in the ass."

Edward let out a chuckle. Trust Bella to know just what to say when his mind was going to the wrong places to get his head back in the game.

"I am pretty incredible," Jasper agreed. "You okay there, Edward?"

"I'm perfect," Edward replied as he resumed thrusting into Bella. Once the initial foreignness of having Jasper inside him had passed, he found that he was enjoying the sensation more than he imagined he would.

"You are," Jasper said. He leaned down to kiss Edward's shoulder again and trailed more kisses until he reached the sensitive spot where it met his neck to suck on it. Wrapping one arm around Edwards, he caressed up and down his chest as the three of them moved in perfect harmony.

Bella's hand met with Jasper's as she, too, caressed Edward. The sensation of having him inside her while Jasper was inside _him_ was arousing as heck. There was more pressure and more pleasure for her. Closing her eyes, she gave herself over to the tight knot that was building in the pit of her belly. It was going to be so good, she thought, feeling the fire growing hotter.

Jasper listened as Bella began making those small noises that meant she was almost there. "Rub her clit, Edward," he whispered to him before increasing the pace of his own thrusts. He was close himself. The grip Edward had on his cock was wonderful and hearing the sounds his two lovers were making as they enjoyed each other was a huge turn on for Jasper.

Edward moved his fingers to find Bella's most sensitive point, and he began rubbing circles around it before tapping it rapidly. He could feel her start to tighten around him and wanted to push her over the edge. "Yes, baby, come for us."

Bella panted, growing ever more breathless as she felt herself become almost overwhelmed with pleasure. "Almost…almost… Yes, yes, yes. Oh, oh, yes!" she screamed as the climax suddenly crashed over her, making her blind and deaf for a moment.

Edward cursed when the tightening muscles of her body were followed by a groan from Jasper.

"Damn…so good," Jasper muttered, and in the next thrust, he froze as he felt his own release overcoming over him.

Edward's own orgasm exploded along with Jasper's. The added pressure of the pulsation of Jasper inside him on top of the tightening of Bella's pussy around his cock proved too much, and he groaned out his release.

A little while—hours, minutes, neither one of them was certain exactly how long it had been—later, the three of them lay on their backs on the bed, slowly regaining their breaths.

"Now, I need a shower," Bella announced.

Edward groaned and pressed his face into a pillow. "Sleep," he mumbled. His eyes were already closed, and he was more than halfway into dream land.

Jasper placed a soft kiss on Edward's back. "Sweet dreams," he whispered before turning to Bella. "I think I'll be joining you in the shower."

Bella smiled wildly as she saw the spark of mischief and re-igniting desire in Jasper's blue eyes. "Just remember, I need to be able to walk tomorrow."

Jasper's lips curved sinfully. "I make no promises."

o.O.o

Early the next morning, Edward was the first to stir. He found himself sandwiched between two warm bodies. Opening one eye, he saw that Bella was using his arm as a pillow, and her soft ass was nestled perfectly into his morning erection. Behind him, he felt Jasper's warm body pressed against him. One of his legs was tossed over Edward's, and his left arm rested dangerously close to Edward's previously mentioned morning wood.

Mentally shaking his head, Edward decided he wasn't ready to get up just yet. He was perfectly happy where he was, with his two lovers surrounding him. He kissed Bella's shoulder softly and nuzzled her hair before closing his eyes and letting himself fall back into sleep.

He was finally home.

— Fin —

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for taking the time to read this story. I hope you enjoyed it and to see you in future stories :)  
> Alley Cat

**Author's Note:**

> This story has seven chapters that are currently being worked by my wonderful beta, LeeorV, so I will be posting a new chapter every Saturday for the next seven weeks.
> 
> In the meantime, I am trying to get Musie to cooperate with me on "The Birth of a New Moon" (the much-awaited sequel to "When the Twilight Never Comes"), and get that story rolling as well.


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